Harry Potter and the Slippery Slope
by contentlyreading
Summary: Minerva McGonagall remembers her promise to Harry in the aftermath of his fifth year. She will help him become an Auror, if it's the last thing she ever does. The Second War is rising and He must be stopped.
1. Chapter 1

It was four days until the end of term, and Harry Potter was still at Hogwarts. His fifth year still had a few days remaining but it was fair to say that it had ended in disaster.

Although the fact that his exams were finished would normally be cause for celebration, his two best friends were still in the Hospital Wing as the result of a trap that had ended in the death of his Godfather. And so, rather than enjoy the beautiful weather on the castle grounds, Harry found himself lost in thought in an obscure corner of the Gryffindor Common Room. He idly glanced up as the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall entered. Her eyes scanned the room, and Harry tensed, already knowing that she was searching for him.

"Potter," called Professor McGonagall, "A word, if you please."

Harry rose from his position on the couch in the far corner of the Common Room and approached the portrait of the Fat Lady where his Transfiguration Professor stood.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Follow me, Mr. Potter."

A bit confused by the abruptness of his Professor, Harry nonetheless began to follow as she turned on her heel and exited the portrait hole into the corridor. She continued to walk silently until Harry was unable to contain his curiosity. As they approached the Charms Corridor he cleared his throat quietly. When Professor McGonagall failed to react to the subtle hint, he gathered his courage and asked, "Excuse me, Professor, but where are we going?"

The Professor's steps never faltered as she said, "You'll see in a moment, Mr. Potter." As she spoke, the pair came to a stop outside of Professor Flitwick's office. As they stepped inside, Harry noted idly that the closest he had come to entering this office had been two years earlier when he had rescued his Godfather, Sirius Black, by flying a Hippogriff up to the window. At the sudden reminder of his loss, Harry felt his breath catch in his throat.

Forcing the unpleasant reminder away, Harry focused on the two occupants of the room. Professor Flitwick sat in an unusually small chair that was propped up on a stack of books that Harry was certain must be held in place by magic. He was reviewing a file of some sort and looking uncharacteristically grim. As Harry took this in, McGonagall ushered him into a chair.

As McGonagall settled herself comfortably in the chair beside him, Flitwick squeaked, "Please be seated, Mr. Potter." Feeling exceptionally nervous, Harry did as requested. As soon as he sat, his Transfiguration Professor began to speak.

"Now, Mr. Potter. Before we begin I would like to inform you that this is not usually done. However, at your career counseling session I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it."

Harry still found himself confused. "Excuse me Professor, but I'm afraid I still don't understand."

Flitwick took that moment to interrupt. "This might help you understand, Mr. Potter," he chirped as he passed Harry a piece of parchment from the file in front of him. "I think you will find the results on this page to be quite clear."

Harry glanced down and realized to his shock and horror that he was holding a copy of his OWL scores. "Professors," he began, "I thought that these scores weren't released until sometime in July."

"They aren't released to _students_ until July, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, placing emphasis on the word student. "Teachers are given the results as early as possible in order to help them prepare the expected schedule for sixth year students. Now, please take a look at your results."

With some trepidation, Harry glanced down at the results. He sighed as he realized that, while they weren't as poor as he had initially feared, they were still nowhere near Auror standard.

 ** _Harry Potter's OWL Results_**

 _Astronomy - P_

 _Divination - D_

 _Care of Magical Creatures - E_

 _Charms - E_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts - O_

 _History of Magic - D_

 _Herbology - E_

 _Potions - A_

 _Transfiguration – E_

After giving Harry a moment to peruse the results, McGonagall continued. "While you performed at a sufficiently high standard for entry into my class, as well as into Defense, Charms, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures, your Potions score is well below the accepted standard. Additionally, the fact that you failed three of your subject would be a serious mark against you if you truly wished to pursue becoming an Auror."

Harry's throat became dry. He realized that, now that he knew of the prophecy, he couldn't give serious consideration to any career path other than Auror. For his own survival, and that of the entire Wizarding World, he needed to train to be able to defeat one of the most powerful Dark Wizards of the century. His heart sank into his stomach as he realized that this may now be impossible.

"However," McGonagall continued, "I did promise you that I would go to extraordinary measures in order to help you achieve your career goals, and I am not in the habit of breaking my word."

Harry's thoughts drifted back to the day of his career counseling session. McGonagall had gotten into a shouting match with Umbridge and had ultimately yelled, " _Potter, I will assist you to become an Auror if it is the last thing I do! If I have to coach you nightly, I will make sure you achieve the required results!_ "

Harry's stomach clenched at the thought of nightly tutoring sessions over the summer from his Head of House. He knew that the Dursleys wouldn't tolerate magic in their home, even if the request came from a witch as formidable as Minerva McGonagall. Her next words, however, stopped Harry cold.

"Mr. Potter, are you aware that students are permitted to retake their OWLs if certain conditions are met?"

Harry started. He certainly hadn't been expecting Professor McGonagall to say that!

"No, Professor. I've never heard of a student being permitted to retake their exams."

McGonagall nodded. "It is exceedingly rare, Mr. Potter. A series of requirements have to be met. Firstly, two of the student's exams must be interrupted by circumstances beyond the control of the student. Secondly, at least two teachers have to attest that they do not believe that the student performed up to his potential in their subject. A memory that demonstrates that extraordinary potential of the student must be submitted by each of those teachers. And finally, the student has to be willing to retake all of the exams, not just the ones that were interrupted."

Harry paused for a moment to take that in. "I'm sorry Professor, but I still don't understand. I don't think that those conditions apply to me."

McGonagall looked as though her patience was waning. "Potter, the circumstances surrounding the Astronomy exam are well documented. Every student taking that OWL will be considered to have experienced an exam interruption. And, I would certainly think that having your mind invaded by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would qualify as interrupting your History examination."

Harry sighed. That clearly wasn't the issue. "Yes Professor, but I haven't demonstrated any extraordinary magical ability in my classes."

Before Professor McGonagall could answer, Professor Flitwick jumped in. "That would be incorrect, Mr. Potter," he squeaked. "Two of your Professors noticed outstanding ability in their subject, despite the fact that you only received an Exceeds Expectations in their class."

"What outstanding ability?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, Potter, the first Professor to notice your outstanding performance was Hagrid. He observed that you had an uncommon affinity for Hippogriffs, and were even able to ride one during class in your third year. He has submitted that memory to me."

Almost before McGonagall had finished, Flitwick excitedly interjected, "And the second professor to notice outstanding ability was myself, Mr. Potter. Last year, during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, you performed a Summoning Charm that brought your broomstick all the way from your dormitory to the arena outside the castle. Summoning an object that distance is unheard of, unless you are a Charms Master."

"So, as you can see, Mr. Potter, you quite easily meet the first two conditions to retake you OWL. All that is required is that you be willing to retake all twelve examinations." McGonagall continued briskly.

"Twelve examinations?" Harry exclaimed. "But I only sat for nine OWLs Professor."

"While that is true, it is the policy of the Ministry that a student who petitions to retake their exams must retake all of them. Otherwise, the only alternative is to repeat your fifth year of study in those classes."

Harry found himself repulsed by the very thought. He still had several questions though. "When would I retake the exams Professor?"

"You will sit the examinations the week before classes resume. It will be an intense exam schedule, you will have two exams a day for six days. You will learn the results the day before your classmates return to Hogwarts."

Something about the way that McGonagall said that least sentence resonated with Harry. Hope briefly flared within him. "Before my classmates return, Professor?"

McGonagall sighed. "In these troubled times, Potter, the Headmaster feels as though you won't be safe anywhere but at your relatives' home or behind the walls of Hogwarts. Should you choose to accept this offer, you will spend the summer here."

Harry's mind was immediately made up. The workload sounded daunting, but he was confident that anything would be better than staying at the Dursleys for an entire summer.

"I'll retake my OWLs, Professor."

"Very good then, Mr. Potter. However, that means that there isn't even a day to waste. I will expect you to report to my office tomorrow morning at 8am to receive your summer schedule and begin your tutoring."

"Thank you, Professor."

"You are certainly welcome, Mr. Potter." McGonagall smiled tightly, but her eyes showed quite a bit of affection. "I'm certain that you will meet your full potential this time."

As Harry turned to leave, Professor Flitwick called out once more. "Mr. Potter. I suggest you keep this opportunity to yourself. While your achievement's certainly warrant this opportunity, if news were to spread too widely it may lead to claims of favoritism. Of course you may tell your closest friends, but I would impress upon them the need for discretion."

Harry nodded, feeling uncommonly grateful towards his Head of House, Professor Flitwick, and Hagrid. "Thank you again, Professors," he said as he exited the office.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Later that afternoon in the Hospital Wing, Hermione squealed with joy at the fact that Harry would be retaking his OWLs. "Oh Harry, that's wonderful! I always knew that you had so much more potential than you usually show in class!"

Ron coughed from the next bed over. "Don't hold back, Hermione. Tell him what you really think."

At Ron's words and Harry's slightly affronted look, Hermione relented slightly. "It's not that you do poorly in class, Harry, it's that you don't always fully apply yourself. But this will give you the opportunity to showcase your abilities."

When it became apparent that Harry was placated, she continued. "Honestly though, the policy seems quite unfair. Requiring that two exams be interrupted? Surely that's a bit arbitrary. Isn't having one serious interruption enough? And why would extraordinary ability be required? In the Muggle world, anyone who has a disruption during an official exam is given the opportunity to retake it."

Ron took a surprised breath, "You mean you don't know?"

Harry and Hermione both turned to look at him. "Know what?" They asked, almost in unison.

"Well, anyone can retake _an OWL_ by repeating the fifth year class. It is actually fairly common. It's a big part of the reason why most students achieve more OWLs than NEWTs. Student continue their strong subjects on an advanced level and take remedial classes in a few others. Being permitted to retake your _OWLs_ is a whole other matter entirely."

While Harry's head was spinning with this new information, Hermione just looked intrigued. "What do you mean, Ron?"

"Being permitted to retake your OWLs means that your entire testing history is replaced. It will be as if Harry never took the tests the first time. It's incredibly rare because it requires Hogwarts to acknowledge that it failed to help an outstanding student reach their full potential. I believe that the last time this was done was about eleven years ago."

By this point in the explanation, Hermione was looking slightly suspicious. "Ronald, how could you possibly know all of those details?"

Ron's ears turned slightly pink. "Well, the student who was permitted to retake his OWLs eleven years ago was Bill."

"Your brother? But I thought that he was an outstanding student?"

"Well he was, eventually. But during fifth year he had some troubles and his grades kept slipping. But then one day, towards the end of term, Professor Vector walked in on him experimenting with advanced warding schemes. Mum and Dad realized that he had not excelled because the material was too easy to be of interest to him."

At this information, Harry interrupted. "Which two exams were disrupted for him?"

Ron grinned slightly. "Well, as it turned out, most students had two exam disruptions that year. During Care of Magical Creatures, Old Professor Kettleburn accidentally let some male students get too close to a unicorn foal, and its mother went on a bit of a rampage. And then, in the Potion's written exam, Peeves interrupted. Apparently, there were fireworks involved. Bill's never been able to finish the story without breaking down laughing."

Harry snickered and Hermione looked outraged at the very idea of the school poltergeist interrupting something as sacred as OWL testing.

Ron started, as if he's had an idea. "Hey mate, if they know your scores already, do you think they know ours as well?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, McGonagall said that she received all the student results to make lesson plans."

Hermione began trembling with excitement, "Oh, do you think she'd tell us our scores early? I know that it's not usually done, but maybe she would make an exception! Ron, we have to go and see her as soon as we get out of here!"

Ron shot a dubious look toward Harry, but nodded nonetheless.

"I have to see McGonagall for my summer schedule tomorrow at 8am. I know Pomphrey said you guys could leave tomorrow morning, maybe you could come along?" Harry offered.

Ron groaned, "So much for having a bit of a lie in."

"You've had days to sleep in," Hermione rebuked. "This is important! These are your OWL results!"

Ron sighed but agreed.

Although Harry was pleased that his friends understood, the weight of the guilt was still heavy. "It just doesn't seem fair though, with you guys getting hurt and Sirius…" He trailed off, unable to even finish the sentence.

Hermione began to look distraught. "It wasn't your fault Harry. You weren't to know you were being tricked! And we all went with you because we want to help. All of us, and Sirius, were there because we will always stand with you against the dark."

"Yeah, mate," Ron agreed. "It wasn't your fault. You did the best you could, considering how little the Order told us about what was going on. If they'd told you why you needed to learn Occlumency, you never would have believed the vision in the first place!"

Harry nodded, but both his friends could see that he wasn't convinced.

Hermione leaned forward in the bed and placed her hand on Harry's knee. "It's understandable that you miss him deeply. It's even normal to feel guilty when someone close to you dies. But those feelings don't make his death your fault. Sirius died fighting for something he believed in. And there's no doubt in my mind that if he were here, he'd tell you the same thing."

Harry felt conflicted. While he didn't want to upset his friends who were still recuperating, this was too much for him to talk about. He turned to Ron and changed the subject abruptly.

"So, how did Bill manage to do all of the studying necessary to retake his OWLs in just one summer?"

"It's not as hard as you are thinking. See, you already received an E in most of your classes, right? So most of your revising is compete. The Professors just focus on the advanced topics that you struggled with the first time around and then focus on the extra credit aspects of the exam."

"Like when they asked me to cast the Patronus Charm in my Defense OWL?"

Yeah, exactly, mate. As for the subjects that you haven't taken, I don't know."

Hermione jumped in. "You won't have a problem in Muggle Studies, Harry. Any muggle six year old would likely ace that test. It asks questions like, 'What is a light switch used for?' The only new subjects for you will be Arithmancy and Runes."

Harry grew slightly frazzled. "Only two! Hermione, those are the two most challenging subjects offered at Hogwarts!"

"That's not true, Harry. Defense and Transfiguration are definitely more rigorous courses. Plus, the material in both subjects for third year and the first half of fourth is purely introductory. If you really apply yourself, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to get up to speed in three months. You should be able to pass the exams, even if you don't get straight O's."

Feeling slightly reassured, Harry gave Hermione a tentative smile. "I wish you guys were in the tutoring with me. Then, we could spend an entire summer together!"

"Take my OWLs again? No way, mate. You're on your own with this one."

"I don't know if I would want to devote that much time to Divination, Harry. But hopefully you will have time to visit the Weasley's at some point. Or maybe we could come visit you at the castle?"

Harry felt his spirits lift. "Yeah, that's a great idea. Imagine all of the exploring we could do with no other students around!"

Ron's thoughts took a different path. "Imagine how much extra food the elves would have in the kitchens." His eyes took on a dreamy quality.

Harry chuckled. At that moment the matron of the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomphrey, bustled in. "Mr. Potter, I think you've been visiting quite long enough! Your friends need one last night of rest before I release them! You'll see them in the morning."

Harry stood up and said goodbye to his friends. "Don't forget guys, McGonagall's office at 8."

"As if Hermione would let me – OOF."

Harry exited the infirmary to Ron's squawk of indignation and Madame Pomphrey's reprimand, "Miss Granger, this is a Hospital Wing, not a circus. Kindly transfigure Mr. Weasley's pillow back, NOW."

Controlling his snicker, Harry slipped out the door and away from the scene.

* * *

Harry awoke, bleary-eyed, the next morning. Upon looking at the clock, he realized why he was still so tired. It was only 5am. Nevertheless, he realized that he would never be able to return to sleep and so he rolled out of bed and winced as his feet touched the cold stone floor. Dressing himself silently, he slipped down the stairs into the Common Room. There, sitting at a couch by the fire, he encountered his friend Neville Longbottom. Neville had fought with Harry at the Department of Mysteries, but had not been injured badly enough to require a long stay in the Hospital Wing. But, here he was at 5am, staring blankly into an empty fireplace.

Harry approached cautiously, "Neville?"

Neville didn't respond at first. Harry took another step forward, so that he was directly in Neville's line of sight. As he did so, Neville started rather violently.

"H-harry. What are you doing up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep, Neville," Harry said. He wasn't sure whether or not to elaborate but the decision was taken away from him as Neville asked bleakly, "You too?"

Harry suddenly felt as though he was on uncertain ground. He didn't think that Neville was talking about something as benign as receiving a study schedule.

"N-no. It's been a long few days." Harry felt as though that sentence was a compromise. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall talking to Neville since that night. He had done an excellent job of making himself scarce.

Settling himself in the chair next to Neville, Harry was surprised when Neville began to speak without further prompting.

"I can't close my eyes without remembering the look on her face. She destroyed my parents, Harry. And I couldn't defend myself from her. She tried to do it to me, too. I couldn't stop her. That pain, only for a second, felt like years. My parents…" Neville trailed off into silence.

Harry didn't know what to say. He was overwhelmed with guilt in knowing that it was his mistake that had caused his friend's suffering. He reached out to touch Neville's shoulder, but at the slightest touch, Neville jerked away.

A moment later, he looked up, he face turning bright red. "Sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to –"

Harry shook his head. "It's okay Neville. How long has it been since you've gotten a good night's sleep?"

Neville shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, Harry. It's stupid. But every time I lay down I have the same memory."

Harry knew he shouldn't pry, so settled on saying, "I'm sorry, Neville."

"No, I'm sorry, Harry," Neville said, his voice getting louder and beginning to border on hysterical. "It's a stupid memory." He took a deep, shuddering breath and continued.

"It was my fifth birthday. And, until I left for Hogwarts, my Gran and Uncle Algie always took me to see my parents on my birthday. And so we were sitting there in St. Mungo's and I was telling my Dad about my first Gobstones set and how I had almost beat Gran after breakfast this morning. And then my Mum got out of bed and shuffled up to me. I looked her in the eyes, and I swear, Harry, it was her for just a second. She looked at me and she reached out to give me a hug, but I was scared. I slipped out of my chair and I backed away. By the time I looked up again, the moment was gone. My Mum was still standing there, arms extended, but she was gone."

Harry felt like he couldn't breathe as Neville continued.

"When I think of Bellatrix Lestrange, that's the moment I think of. When I was five years old, I was too scared to give my Mum a hug. And, at fifteen, I was too scared to kill Bellatrix Lestrange. I was weak then, and I'm weak now. When I was five, I missed the only chance I ever had to get a hug from my mother. And this week, I missed my only chance to get revenge for her and Dad."

Frozen to the spot, Harry wasn't sure what to do as Neville began to quietly sob. Moving very slowly, he tentatively placed a hand on Neville's shoulder. It seemed to be the right thing to do because Neville didn't back away.

"Neville," Harry began softly. "You aren't weak. You are a Gryffindor in every sense of the word. You stood up to Lestrange and all of the other Death Eaters at the Ministry. You saved my life more than once."

Neville's sobs decreased slightly and as he raised his head it was clear, even to Harry, that he was completely overwrought.

"I think you need to get a good rest, mate. Classes are over, so you can have a bit of a lie in. I'll make sure I wake you in time for lunch. Why don't we head upstairs now?"

Neville looked a bit reluctant, but he nodded his consent.

He and Harry returned to the dorm room, and Harry busied himself searching through his trunk while Neville changed into his night clothes. But, as soon as Neville laid down, he got up again. "It's no use. I won't be able to sleep, Harry. It's been three days already."

Harry paused, considering. "Well, why don't I go talk to Professor McGonagall for you? When I have had nightmares, Dreamless Sleep has worked. Maybe she could ask Professor Snape for some."

Neville shook his head. "Don't go to any trouble on account of me, Harry."

That statement made up Harry's mind. "Of course it's no trouble, mate. I'm sure it'll only take me a minute. Don't get up again while I'm gone."

Neville looked dubious, but nodded his agreement nonetheless.

Harry knocked for the third time on Professor McGonagall's door before he thought to check the Marauder's Map. To his dismay he found that Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be found. _She must be outside of the castle tonight,_ Harry mused to himself.

He couldn't let Neville down though. Looking for alternate options, the only moving figure he saw was in the Dungeons. Professor Snape was awake and alone in the Potions Lab. Harry sighed heavily. Into the snake's den it was then.

Harry used the map to ensure that he encountered no one on his trip to the Dungeons. Considering the hour, it wasn't difficult. When he reached the door to the lab, he hesitated a moment before knocking. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, it flew open of its own accord.

A cutting voice sounded from within, "What in Merlin's name could you want at this hour, Potter?"

Nervous, but emboldened by the knowledge that he was helping a friend, Harry stepped forward bravely. "I was hoping you might have a dose of Dreamless Sleep, Professor." He kept his tone polite in the vain hope that Snape might grant the request without a fight.

"And why, Potter, would you need a potion like that? Dreaming of killing your mutt of a godfather?"

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself against the tidal wave of guilt. But he quickly steeled himself. "No, sir. The potion is for a friend."

"Oh really, Mr. Potter. And which friend is that? I was under the impression that Weasley and Granger are still in the Hospital Wing."

Harry paused, uncertain of whether to betray a confidence, but he figured that Snape would find out anyway.

"It's for Neville, sir."

"Oh, is Longbottom dreaming about his incompetence at all things magical? Perhaps he's dreaming of a never ending line of exploding cauldrons?"

Harry felt the first twinges of righteous anger on Neville's behalf.

"No. He hasn't slept in three days because he's been dreaming about his parents and Lestrange."

Snape had drawn a breath to insult Harry again, but he let it out slowly instead. Harry chanced a glance upward. Snape was perfectly still. After a couple of seconds he nodded decisively and glared at Harry. "Do not move, Potter." He spun around and stalked into his office. A minute later he returned with a very small vial.

Snape twisted the vial between his fingers. "This is a single dose of dreamless sleep. Give it directly to Longbottom and ensure that he drinks it. If, after today, he is still unable to sleep, bring him directly to the Hospital Wing. If you disobey these instructions, I will make your summer Potions lessons an unendurable trial. Are we clear, Mr. Potter?"

Although the warning was delivered in a whisper, the malice in Snape's voice drove home his seriousness. Reeling from the revelation that he would have Potions with Snape over the summer, Harry raised his eyes to meet the surly Potions Professor's. "Yes, sir, I understand."

"Very well, Potter. Out of my sight then."

Harry all too eagerly fled the dungeons and was back in his dormitory in record time. When he arrived in his room, he found Neville still seated on his bed, wide awake. Harry tried to hand him the potion. "Here, Neville. Take this. You really need a good rest."

Neville nodded absently but made no move to take the vial from Harry. So, Harry uncorked it and pressed it into his hand. Finally, Neville raised it to his lips and drank. Harry sighed with poorly concealed relief. He backed away from Neville and sat on the edge of his own bed, but did not exit the dormitory until Neville's breathing evened out. After about five minutes it finally did, and Harry slipped soundlessly down to the Common Room.

* * *

Over an hour later, Harry found himself sitting roughly where Neville had sat, unable to stop thinking about his friends. Luna had seemed okay, and so did Ron and Hermione, but Neville had been so affected and he hadn't even noticed. And, he realized with a jolt, he hadn't even asked Ginny how she was doing. He resolved to be a better friend to all of them this summer.

Right about when he reached this conclusion, he heard the first alarms begin to drift down from the girl's dormitory. With a start, he realized that it was already seven in the morning. Breakfast would be served soon. Although he wasn't very hungry, he nonetheless climbed out the portrait hole and began to walk in the direction of the Great Hall. It seemed the best way to quell his nervousness about what he would learn in an hour's time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

It was five minutes to eight, and Harry was waiting outside of McGonagall's office for his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, who were joining him in the hopes of learning their OWL scores early. Harry was beginning to wonder if Pomphrey would let them out of the infirmary in time though.

No sooner had he had the thought when he heard echoes of Hermione's voice and Ron's dragging footsteps. "Hurry up, Ron! We don't want to be late! Remember, these are our OWL scores!"

Harry grinned to himself. Just as they reached the office door, it opened. The three students tentatively stepped inside. Professor McGonagall looked up, slightly surprised to hear the sound of three sets of footsteps. "Mr. Potter, I was unaware that I had given permission to three students to retake their OWLs."

Harry opened his mouth to explain, but couldn't seem to find the words. He glanced down at the floor and shuffled his feet as Hermione stepped forward.

"Oh, Professor, I'm so sorry to interrupt your morning but when Harry told us about his OWL scores he mentioned that you had everyone's scores, not just his. And so, Ron and I were wondering –" she trailed off for a moment when Ron coughed, "Well, I was wondering at any rate, if maybe you could let us see a copy of our scores too?"

McGonagall look severely at Hermione over the top of her spectacles, although Harry was almost certain that he detected a trace of a smile on her face. "And what exactly, Ms. Granger, makes you feel as though you should receive your OWL scores weeks before all of the other students?"

Hermione visibly wilted. Appropriately chastised she shook her head. "Nothing, Professor, I apologize. I just got carried away in the excitement of the moment."

McGonagall looked at her again and Harry was now certain that he could see the trace of a smirk. "Well, as it turns out, I do require two student volunteers to file all of this paperwork for me before the end of the term. It will probably take most of the morning. But I don't see a problem with letting you start by taking a peek at your own files.

Hermione visibly brightened and nodded eagerly. Ron, however, shuffled his feet and muttered something inaudible.

"Mr. Weasley, are you saying that you won't volunteer to help your Head of House with her paperwork?"

Ron's eyes widened as he sensed the danger in her tone. "Oh no, Professor, I'm happy to help."

"Very well then." With a flick of her wand, a piece of parchment floated towards both Ron and Hermione. Hermione snatched hers eagerly out of the air while Ron reluctantly grabbed his.

After about 10 seconds, during which both Ron and Hermione perused their results in silence, Hermione squealed and threw her arms around Harry. "Oh, I'm so relieved!"

Ron snorted. "Why? It's no surprise that you got straight O's."

At that statement Hermione flushed slightly. "Well, actually, I received nine O's and one E, in Defense."

McGonagall interrupted, "I was very pleased with your results, Ms. Granger. You were first in the year."

Hermione beamed while Ron groaned.

Harry gave a commiserating smile, "It can't be that bad, mate."

"It's worse. I got E's in Defense, Creatures, and Charms, A's in Herbology and Transfiguration, and I failed the rest." He moaned miserably. "Only five OWLs! Mum's going to kill me!"

Hermione tried to bring some comfort. "Five OWLs is perfectly respectable Ron. After all, Fred and George only got three each!"

Ron considered that. "Yeah, I guess that's true. Maybe Sprout will let me into NEWT Herbology with an A so that I can at least take four NEWT classes."

"Professor Sprout normally accepts anyone with a passing OWL grade into her NEWT class, Mr. Weasley. That should not be a problem."

Ron smiled, relieved. "I guess that's not so bad then."

The trio shared a brief smile, safe in the knowledge that they would at least have a few classes together in the coming years. After a moment, McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Now, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, you will stay here and begin the filing. Instructions are on the board." They appeared as she carelessly flicked her wand. "Mr. Potter, please follow me to the Transfiguration classroom where we will go over your lessons."

Harry gave a half-hearted wave to his friends as Hermione briskly dug into the filing and Ron gave a groan of displeasure.

* * *

Once Harry was seated at a desk in the Transfiguration Classroom, McGonagall stood up, as if to lecture. With a wave of her wand, several documents appeared in front of him.

"Now, Mr. Potter, as you can see, I have provided you with a book list, a study plan, a class schedule, and the repayment policy."

Harry nodded, trying to absorb all of the information. McGonagall continued before he could voice any questions.

"The book list is, of course, self-explanatory. The only texts that you should need to purchase are the ones for Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. As you are a Muggle-raised student, we won't be devoting much time at all to Muggle Studies. The study plan outlines what you should review each evening after your lessons, as well as on your days off. Your class schedule will tell you who your tutors are and when you will be meeting with them. Let's begin by reviewing that."

Harry nodded again, but he didn't fail to notice that McGonagall hadn't mentioned the last document in the folder, the repayment policy.

"You will have five two-hour lessons a day, five days a week. You will be expected to do independent review for an hour each evening, and all day on Saturday. Sunday will be your day off. This pattern will repeat for 14-weeks. Then, in your last two weeks here, you will have your OWL tests."

At this, Harry just had to interrupt. "Professor, I'm sorry, but this doesn't make sense. Hermione mentioned that I'd have three months to study, but summer break is only eight weeks long. How is this possible?"

McGonagall nodded briskly. "It's a little known piece of trivia, Potter, that there is a room within Hogwarts that can manipulate time. Students who study under the Headmaster are permitted to reside within it during the summer term, giving them the ability to experience four months in a two-month period. Ms. Granger no doubt encountered this information in _Hogwarts, A History_."

"So I won't leave this room for the entire summer?" Harry questioned dejectedly. The dreams of exploring the castle with Ron and Hermione seemed less and less likely.

"Correct, Mr. Potter. But, I suspect that you will find that the room will provide everything that you require."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "You mean the Room of Requirement can manipulate time too?"

She looked up sharply. "You know of this room?"

Harry paused, unsure of what to say. He finally decided on a version of the truth. "A lot of people do, Professor. It's used for a study group."

McGonagall looked sternly at him. "This study group wouldn't happen to be the reason that the Minister thought that Professor Dumbledore was raising an army against him, was it?"

Harry considered his answer carefully. "It was just a study group to prepare for our Defense OWL, Professor."

The Professor sighed. "Yes, Mr. Potter, I'm sure that's all it was. That also wasn't my question."

It was unavoidable. "Yes, we called ourselves Dumbledore's Army."

"And you met in the Room of Requirement?"

"Yes, Professor."

The last thing Harry expected was to hear a choked laugh coming from his Professor. "Oh, Harry, it's always something with you. So you know then, that the room can become anything you need?"

"Yes, I do."

"Excellent. You will go there as soon as the Hogwarts Express departs in three days. When you enter you should be thinking _I need to retake my OWLs_. The room will know what to prepare."

"Alright, Professor."

"That is all, Mr. Potter. Over the next few days you should make sure to order your books and spend at least five hours each day revising in Astronomy or History of Magic. I would suggest requesting that Ms. Granger assist you in getting organized. Do you have any questions?"

Harry's mind immediately sprung to the fourth parchment in the file. "Yes, Professor, I do. What is the repayment policy, exactly?"

McGonagall nodded. "Well, as you know, your tuition fees are deducted from your Gringotts account each year. However, engaging Hogwarts Professors for a single student for an entire summer would be prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of students. Therefore, when a student is permitted to retake his or her OWLs, a sponsor is typically found. In return for the investment in the student's education, the student agrees to work for the sponsor, either over the summer or for their first year after graduation."

Harry felt panicked. "Professor, I don't think that I can agree to this without knowing who my sponsor is and what I'll be doing."

McGonagall chuckled. "Harry, you don't need to worry about that. Your sponsor is Hogwarts. You will complete a very important job for Professor Dumbledore next year, which will repay your obligation in full."

Harry had a sudden mental image of trailing around behind Hagrid carrying the food for his newest pets. He visibly blanched.

McGonagall's eyes softened as she saw Harry's panic. "Harry, the task that you will be asked to complete is very simple. You will be asked to continue the DA in a more official capacity."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "That's all, Professor?"

"That's all, Harry. Of course, Professor Dumbledore may ask you to expand it a bit more but in essence, yes. Are you aware that every single member of your study group passed their Defense OWL with at least an E?"

Harry was a bit surprised, but not terribly shocked. "No, Professor, but everyone did work very hard."

"Very well. I won't keep you any longer then. Please get started on your revising and make sure to report to the Room of Requirement as soon as your friends board the train."

Harry stood up to leave. As he turn to go he looked at Professor McGonagall. "Thank you, Professor," he said with heartfelt gratitude.

McGonagall gave him a rare, genuine smile. "You're welcome, Mr. Potter. Go on now, I'm sure your friends will be curious to hear all of the details."

Harry smiled once more and left the classroom in search of his friends. He idly wondered how far Ron and Hermione had gotten in their filing. His question was quickly answered though when he heard Hermione's voice drifting out of Professor McGonagall's office, "RONALD! You have to file them correctly! Otherwise the cabinet spits the entire drawer onto the floor out of order!"

"I can see that now, Hermione! Blimey, why didn't you tell me that right off?"

After hearing the ruckus, Harry decided that now would be a very nice time for a quick walk around the lake. He'd update Ron and Hermione later.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

After a stroll around the lake, Harry was walking through the Entrance Hall on his way back to the Common Room. He had barely set a foot on the main staircase when he heard a very unpleasant, silky voice.

"Potter."

Resigned, Harry turned to meet his Potions Professor's eyes. He was quite certain that Snape, despite his unexpected generosity last night, would find some fault with Harry's behavior.

Looking as though he would rather be anywhere else, Snape thrust a scrap of parchment under Harry's nose.

"The Headmaster requested that I pass this on to you," Snape said as ungraciously as possible. "He would like you to join a meeting in his office this evening at 7pm. Do not be tardy."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't in trouble. Figuring that it couldn't hurt to be polite after Snape's help with the potion, he met his most hated Professor's eyes. "Thanks, Professor."

Snape sneered. "Five points from Gryffindor from being absent from breakfast and requiring me to traipse around looking for you." With that parting comment, he spun on his heel and strode away, his robes billowing out behind him.

 _Sometimes it's awful to be right._ Harry mused to himself as he continued up the Main Staircase. It was abundantly clear that nothing had changed between him and the bitter, greasy-haired, man. Shrugging off the undeserved correction, he slipped the note into his robe pocket and continued on his way to the Common Room. He figured that it would be wise to check on Neville and make sure that his dorm mates didn't try to wake him up.

* * *

Arriving at the entrance to the Common Room, Harry absentmindedly gave the password to the Fat Lady. " _Aperito._ " Upon entering, he was immediately ambushed by a bushy-haired figure. "Harry! Where have you been?"

"I just took a stroll around the lake after my meeting with McGonagall. You guys were still working on the filing, so I thought I'd spend some time outside. I won't be getting a lot of it this summer."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I suppose you will have to spend quite a lot of time studying."

Harry nodded and unthinkingly mentioned, "Yeah, McGonagall gave me an extremely detailed study plan. I don't think I'll have time to do anything but eat, sleep, and study this summer."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "A study schedule? Do you have a copy with you?"

Wordlessly Harry held out the papers that McGonagall had given him earlier. Hermione grasped them immediately and began scanning them at a speed that made Harry's head spin. Truly, Hermione was the brightest witch in the school. After a moment she looked up at him, unable to conceal her joy.

"This is great, Harry! We can get started right away. You can be ahead of schedule by the time your formal training begins."

"Spectacular," Harry replied with a great deal less enthusiasm.

"It says here that you should spend at least five hours today reviewing either History of Magic or Astronomy. I think you should start with History because it's definitely your weakest subject. I have all of my notes already organized. Of course you can borrow them for the summer, and perhaps I can owl you some supplemental resources that I have at my parent's house…"

"Hermione," Harry interrupted, "That sounds great. But before we get started, I need to talk to you and Ron about Neville."

Concern flitted across Hermione's face. "Is Neville alright, Harry?"

"I think so but I'm not sure. I need to tell you guys what happened last night. And we need to discuss it somewhere that no one will overhear."

Hermione nodded. "Ron's on the Quidditch Pitch for a pick-up game with Dean, Seamus, and some of the Ravenclaw sixth years. Why don't we go meet him out there and we can chat out on the grounds?"

"Sounds good. I have to check on Neville really quick though. I'll meet you down here again in five minutes."

Knowing that Hermione would agree, Harry walked up the stone steps to the boy's dormitory, stopping when he reached the fifth year boy's rooms. Entering quietly, Harry saw that only one of the four poster beds was occupied. Neville seemed to be sleeping soundly. His chest rose and fell steadily and in sleep, and the worry lines that had filled his face during the night had vanished. He looked much younger than fifteen.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief that at least Neville would be able to get a good rest. Again, the guilt over the events at the Department of Mysteries bubbled up. If he had only been a little bit more cautious, Sirius would be alive, and none of his friends would have been harmed.

Harry startled when Neville stirred slightly in his sleep. Remembering that Hermione was waiting for him, he quickly placed his papers in his trunk and hurried back down the stairs towards his friend.

* * *

Harry and Hermione reached the Quidditch Pitch very quickly. Once there, they found Ron in an intense debate with the Ravenclaw Captain Roger Davies. They seemed to be discussing the chances of the Chudley Cannons in the upcoming Quidditch season. Considering that the Cannons last won the League Cup in 1892, Harry conceded that Davies had the stronger argument. He grinned ruefully though. Ron's loyalty couldn't be doubted.

Hermione walked straight up to the arguing boys. "Ron, if you're quite done talking about Quidditch, Harry and I need to talk to you."

Surprised by her serious demeanor, Ron began to protest, "Hermione, surely it can wait until after the game!" He turned to Harry, "Right, mate?"

At the uncommonly serious expression on Harry's face, Ron quickly subsided. "Alright then. Sorry, Davies, you'll have to play without me."

"No problem, Weasley. I can play Keeper in a pinch. See you later."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione make their way away from the Quidditch Pitch in the direction of the Lake.

"So, what's going on with Neville, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry paused, unsure of how to begin. Ron's eyebrows rose. "Was Neville hurt at the Department of Mysteries? He wasn't in the Hospital Wing with us."

Harry finally decided just to jump right into it. "He couldn't sleep for three days. Last night I had to go ask Professor Snape for some Dreamless Sleep so that he could get the first sleep he's had since that night."

"What's wrong with him? Did he get hit with a Sleeplessness Spell or something?"

Ron had jumped to the wrong conclusion but Harry could see by the softening in Hermione's eyes that she understood.

"No, Ron," Hermione elaborated. "I'd imagine that Neville was rather affected by being tortured by Bellatrix. After all, she was the same woman who…"

Hermione trailed off, but there was no need to finish. All three of the friends knew what Bellatrix Lestrange had done to Neville's parents.

"Blimey, no sleep for three days? He must have been exhausted! What happened to make you go to Snape though?'

Harry remembered the haunted look in Neville's eyes and how he startled away from touch. The memory that Neville had confided in him seemed much too personal to share. Therefore, rather than tell all of the details, he simply said, "McGonagall wasn't in her rooms, and the only Professor who was moving on the map was Snape."

Ron nodded and considered the topic closed, but the quick glance that Hermione sent his way told him that she knew there was more to the story.

Steering the subject back into safer waters, Harry addressed Ron. "What about Ginny?"

"What about her?"

"Is she… you know… doing okay after everything?"

Ron shrugged. "I assume so. She hasn't said anything to me, but I know that Professor Dumbledore let her Floo Mum a few times to talk."

Hermione gave Harry an appraising look. "What about you, Harry? You lost more than any of us."

Harry swallowed. This was the last thing he wanted to talk about. He was worried about his friends, not himself. After all, he caused the entire mess in the first place.

"I'm fine, Hermione." The reassurance rang hollow, even to his own ears.

His brown-eyed friend's eyes widened in concern. "Have you been sleeping, Harry?"

Harry decided on a little bit of honesty to reassure his earnest friend. "Yeah, I have, Hermione. It has been a long few days, but I'm doing better. I just want to help Neville."

Ron rejoined the conversation. "It sounds like you already have, mate. Not everyone would brave Snape's wrath for a sleeping potion."

Harry laughed. "He wasn't that bad, actually. He was really insulting at first, but then once I explained, he was almost decent. Decent for Snape, that is."

"Weird. Maybe the greasy bat does have a heart hiding somewhere. So what should we do when Neville wakes up then?"

"I dunno, Ron. Treat him normally, I guess?" Harry was genuinely unsure of what the correct course of action was in this situation. Should he talk to Neville about their conversation last night?

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly. You boys have the emotional range of a teaspoon. Obviously Ron and I should treat Neville normally. It'd probably embarrass him to know you told us, Harry. You're going to have to talk to him."

Harry felt the weight of responsibility settle onto him. "Yeah. I guess I should. After all, it's my fault that he's upset in the first place."

Ron's eyes widened as Hermione hastened to backtrack. "Of course it's not your fault, Harry. Voldemort was in your mind. Did you blame Ginny for what happened during her first year?"

"Of course I didn't, Hermione! She was tricked!"

"Well, so were you. He tricked us all. But we won't let that happen ever again."

Harry felt a measure of relief. He'd never considered that maybe Voldemort was more responsible for the fiasco than he was. He realized that he'd clenched his fists in his pockets during the conversation and took a deep breath, making a concerted effort to relax.

As he opened his hands, they brushed against the note that Snape had given him earlier. Harry spoke with some excitement. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys. On my way back to the tower, Snape gave me a note from Dumbledore and said that I should be outside of his office at 7pm tonight."

"What did the note say?"

"I don't know, I just remembered it now." Harry unfurled the note and all three of them leaned forward to read it. Oddly though, the note only contained two words. _Phoenix Rising._

"What do you think it means?"

Harry shrugged, but a look of comprehension was dawning in Hermione's eyes. "Harry, I think you have just been invited to join the Order of the Phoenix.

Ron was unsuccessful in keeping a note of jealousy out of his voice. "I thought that was only for wizards who have finished school?"

Harry shrugged again. His head was spinning. "I think you may be mistaken, Hermione. More likely it's just the password to get through the gargoyle."

Hermione's excitement subsided a bit. "That could also be true."

Ron still looked a bit petulant. "Well, if it is an invitation to join the Order, I hope it applies to us too. I want to fight."

Hermione nodded her agreement but changed the subject. "You know, we should probably have one more DA meeting before the end of term. Maybe tomorrow night?"

Harry nodded in agreement and pulled out his galleon. "Now that the Ministry has publicly stated that Voldemort's back, I expect everyone will want to get some practice in before summer begins. How does 8pm sound to you guys?"

Both his friends nodded in unison and the three fell into a comfortable silence. After a couple of minutes, the clock chimed indicating that it was already 1pm. Hermione jumped up. "Harry! You have to begin studying!"

Ron grinned in amusement as Harry looked resigned. "I hope you didn't let her make a study schedule for you, mate. You'll never get a chance to sleep."

Harry grimaced. "Actually, McGonagall gave me one."

Hermione tutted disapprovingly. "This is the chance of a lifetime, Harry. You should enjoy every second."

Harry and Ron exchanged wry smiles as the three headed inside. Hermione was like a dog with a bone when it came to studying. Harry was certain that his entire afternoon would be devoted to History of Magic.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Four hours later, Harry's eyes ached and his head was spinning. Hermione was relentless. They had already worked their way through the first quarter of the first year material, and there was no end in sight. First, Hermione had him organize all of his notes and hers, and then she made him re-read all of his old essay assignments and begin the process of correcting them if he missed any key points. Harry's one source of relief was that they were reviewing materials designed for eleven year olds, so at least the process was going quickly. He knew that it would get more difficult as the material progressed though. Realizing that his thoughts were drifting, he refocused his attention on the essay that he was revising.

"Hermione, who invented self-stirring cauldrons?"

"Honestly, Harry! That was the first question on our first year exams! Gaspard Shingleton invented them after he lost both of his arms in a tragic pixie accident."

That fact proved to be too much for Harry's composure and he began to snicker. "Tragic pixie accident? Hermione, you can't be serious!"

Hermione looked at Harry in exasperation. "Of course I am, Harry. Professor Binns was quite clear on the matter. His accident is the reason the Ministry of Magic outlawed pixie experimentation in 1782."

Harry just looked at Hermione as the ridiculousness of that statement sunk in for both of them. The two friends began to laugh helplessly, attracting the attention of Ron who was trouncing a third year boy in chess two tables away.

"Oi, you two, what could be so funny about History?"

Hermione wiped her eyes. "Nothing, Ron. I think that Harry's been studying a bit too long though."

Harry nodded in agreement. "It's just about dinner time."

Ron nodded and stood up immediately. Addressing his chess partner he asked, "Do you mind finishing this after dinner?"

The young boy shook his head, looking grateful for the reprieve. Quickly, he rejoined the other third years who were sitting on the plush couches by the fireplace.

Ron rejoined Harry and Hermione who were putting away their notes. "So, ready to head down then?"

Harry glanced up at the stairs leading to the boy's dormitory. "You guys go ahead. I'm going to go check on Neville. He's been sleeping for almost twelve hours now!"

Ron and Hermione nodded. "We'll save you a place! But don't be too long, Harry! I noticed that you haven't been in the Great Hall for meals today either."

Harry shook his head ruefully. Hermione was very perceptive. "I stopped by the kitchens on my way out to the lake this morning, Hermione. Dobby gave me more food than Hagrid could eat."

Ron laughed. "I love that elf. Completely nutters, but brilliant too. Come on, Hermione. They're having roast tonight."

As his friends exited, Harry chuckled lightly to himself as he remembered that Ron had once described Professor Dumbledore in the same way that he just described Dobby, a House elf. _They would probably both be flattered if they knew,_ Harry mused as he headed up the stairwell.

* * *

When Harry reached the door to the fifth year boy's dormitory he uncharacteristically hesitated before entering. After all, a bloke is entitled to his privacy. Harry wondered briefly if he shouldn't leave well-enough alone and let Neville come down when he was ready. But Harry remembered his promise to be a better friend and so he took a deep breath and entered the room.

Neville appeared to have not moved since Harry had checked on him this morning. He was still laying on his bed. But, as Harry drew closer, he realized that Neville's eyes were open and that he was clearly no longer sleeping.

Harry cleared his throat as he walked over to his trunk, putting his notes away and pretending to rummage through it. Neville's eyes tracked Harry's movement, but the other boy remained silent so Harry decided to begin.

"Hey, Neville."

The words cut through the silence awkwardly, leaving Harry feeling quite uncomfortable.

Neville remained silent for another moment. Finally, he seemed to gather his courage and began, "Listen, a-about last night…" he trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Harry wasn't sure what to say. Finally, he settled on, "Anyone would be exhausted after not sleeping for three days."

Neville nodded. "Y-yeah. It's been a long week for all of us, I'd imagine."

Harry stood up. "Well, I'm headed down to dinner. Want to come along?"

Neville considered for a moment before nodding his head. "Just give me a moment to get ready." He stood and disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

When the two entered the Great Hall 10 minutes later, Harry was not surprised to see that their friends had saved two places in their usual spot at the Gryffindor table. Slightly surprising was the fact that dinner had not yet started. But as the two boys slid onto the bench, Hermione was quick to provide the information that Harry was lacking. "We're waiting on Professor Dumbledore." She lowered her voice so that it was barely audible. "All of the teachers who are in the Order are missing."

A quick glance at the Head Table revealed that Hermione was correct. Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Snape were all absent from their usual seats. Harry also noted that Professor Flitwick was looking uncharacteristically grim. "Something's happened," Harry whispered.

Ron agreed, "Now that You-Know-Who has been exposed, it makes sense for him to attack. I really hope he didn't –"

But the rest of what Ron was planning to say went unheard as the doors to the Great Hall opened and the Headmaster strode inside. A feeling of electricity crackled through the air. While Dumbledore's bright purple robes were immaculate and not a hair in his beard was out of place, the scent of recently-used, extremely powerful magic spread throughout the entire hall. Harry was vividly reminded that this was the only wizard who Voldemort had ever feared.

Ignoring the whispers that spread throughout the room, Dumbledore took his place at the podium in front of the Head Table and gestured for silence. A hush fell over the room so quickly that for a second Harry wondered if Dumbledore had used a spell. When he spoke, his words did little to reassure the nervous student body.

"Students, as I told you a year ago, the dark wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort has returned to corporeal form. For the last year he has been quietly gathering power in our world. And tonight, he took control of Azkaban Prison, releasing everyone inside and setting the Dementors loose. Therefore, Hogwarts has been placed on lockdown. All students will immediately return to their dormitories, your dinner will be served there."

There was complete silence for a moment after Dumbledore spoke. But then, nervous voices broke out, with many students quickly bordering on panic. Some of the younger Muggleborn students were unaware of exactly what Dementors were, and their faces were turning into masks of horror as their classmates provided an all too vivid description. Harry felt sick himself. He knew that with the Dementors under Voldemort's control that defeating Voldemort had just become much more difficult.

As the volume in the room grew louder and students showed no signs of heading towards the exit, Dumbledore let off a short bang with his wand.

"Students, I assure you, you will be safe within the walls of Hogwarts. Proceed to your dormitories immediately."

After this second instruction, the students calmed down slightly. The mass of people standing by the Great Hall doors thinned as people began to make their way out of the hall and to their Common Rooms. As Harry stood up with his friends, he caught the eye of the Headmaster. A quick shake of the head let Harry know that Dumbledore wanted him to stay in the hall rather than return to the Gryffindor dorms.

"I'll catch up," Harry said as Ron, Hermione, and Neville turned, wondering why he had stopped walking. "I think that Dumbledore wants a word."

While Ron and Hermione looked as though they also wished to be included, Neville simply nodded. "See you later, mate." He resumed his path out of the Great Hall, and Harry's two best friends reluctantly followed.

* * *

As the last of the students filtered out of the Hall, Dumbledore called down from the Head Table, "Harry, the others are waiting in my office. Please meet us up there."

Raising his eyebrows at the mystery, Harry proceeded to the seventh floor and stood in front of the stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. "Password?" The gargoyle grunted.

Remembering the note that Snape had given him earlier in the day, Harry replied, "Phoenix Rising." The gargoyle gave a brief nod and jumped aside.

Voices immediately assailed Harry as he began to ascend the spiral staircase. He could only pick out snippets of each conflicting conversation.

"Thirty muggles have already been kissed along the coast and it's only been two hours! We have to contain –"

"We don't have the forces to defend both St. Mungo's and Diagon Alley. If You-Know-Who –"

"What about Potter? Do you think he's up for this so soon after Black –"

Harry didn't recognize the last voice, but the words caused a wave a nausea. He almost turned and retreated down the spiral staircase to the safety of the Gryffindor dorms, but his retreat was halted by the door at the top of the stairs swinging open. His Transfigurations Professor stood on the other side. "Mr. Potter," she said, "Thank you for joining us. Please come in and have a seat."

Harry stepped into the room and looked around in surprise. While the Headmasters office normally contained a large desk and a variety of interesting trinkets, all of that was missing now. The room appeared to be enlarged, and it was almost entirely filled by a long wooden conference table and the almost thirty people who were seated around it. While there were several faces that Harry recognized from his stay at Order Headquarters the previous summer, about half of the room was unfamiliar. As McGonagall returned to her seat at Dumbledore's right, Harry noted idly that the only open seat was the one directly to his Headmaster's left.

The room had fallen silent while Harry oriented himself and he flushed when he realized that everyone was waiting for him to be seated. Embarrassed to have made a spectacle of himself, he quickly stepped over to the available seat and settled in, hoping to disappear from the view of those in the room who were eyeing him with frank speculation.

To Harry's relief, Dumbledore quickly drew the room's attention elsewhere. "Thank you all for coming to this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. While today's meeting was initially intended to be used for intelligence sharing and the induction of our newest member, I fear that the takeover of Azkaban must take precedence in our discussion tonight. We must develop a plan to ensure the protection of the Hogwarts Express in three days, St. Mungo's, and Diagon Alley."

"There aren't enough of us to defend three targets, Dumbledore. For Merlin's sake, only half of us are capable of casting a Patronus Charm."

That caught Harry's attention. Unsure if it was appropriate for him to speak up, he looked inquisitively at Professor Dumbledore.

"You have something that you wish to mention, Harry?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily as though he already knew what Harry was about to say.

Harry gathered his thoughts slowly, "How unusual is it to be able to cast a corporeal Patronus?"

A self-important looking man halfway down the table, whose voice Harry recognized from the stairwell, answered before Professor Dumbledore could.

"It's incredibly rare, you foolish boy. It's a spell quite beyond NEWT level that takes a great deal of practicing; I'd imagine that not more than two or three current Hogwarts students would be able to manage it. "

Harry bristled at the man's condescending tone, but kept his own voice calm as he addressed the Headmaster again.

"How many corporeal Patronusses would need to be cast to defend the Hogwarts Express? And why don't we need to defend Hogwarts itself?"

This time, his Transfiguration Professor answered. "After the terrible events of your third year, the Hogwarts staff placed anti-Dementor wards around the castle and the grounds. Unfortunately, as you know from your experience on the night of the third task, it takes twelve full months for those wards to be fully powered. While no Dementors can enter the castle grounds now, the other targets are quite unprotected."

Kingsley Shacklebolt interrupted, "Well, not entirely unprotected. I don't expect that an attack will be launched on St. Mungo's immediately. Although it lacks Dementor wards, it is extremely well-warded in all other respects. It would be a waste of resources to attack there. On the other hand, the Hogwarts Express would be a prime target. We would need at least fifteen members stationed on the train to adequately protect it, and that would leave Diagon Alley completely unguarded."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But what about the Auror force? Isn't it their job to protect the public from Dementors? Why wouldn't they be guarding the Alley?"

Shacklebolt let out a snort, "The Ministry is circling the wagons. They've placed all Aurors on duty inside of the Ministry to defend it. Preventing civilian casualties is not high on their priority list."

A sick feeling began to rise in Harry. "So Fudge is still only trying to protect himself."

This time, Dumbledore answered. "I'm afraid so. Cornelius is not a brave man."

Righteous anger filled Harry. "Well then, the Order should protect Diagon Alley. The DA can protect the Hogwarts Express."

The self-important looking man laughed arrogantly. "And just what is your school club going to do against Dementors?"

"Twelve of us can cast corporeal Patronusses. Another four can cast incorporeal ones, and most everyone else can at least get some silver mist."

Even Professor Dumbledore looked surprised to hear this. "That's a remarkable number of students, Harry. I was unaware that your teaching methods were so successful." The brilliant twinkle in his eyes let Harry know that the Headmaster was very, very pleased.

"However," the Headmaster continued, "It would be inappropriate to leave children entirely to their own defenses. Therefore, all of the Hogwarts staff who are capable of casting the spell will ride on the train to protect the children, while the remainder of the Order will continue their regular shifts at Diagon Alley."

When Harry opened his mouth as if to protest, Dumbledore twinkled in his direction. "Of course, should an attack on the Express occur, I would never forbid children from defending themselves if they are capable. Be warned though, Harry. Although you are capable of casting a corporeal Patronus in the presence of Dementors, it is likely that many of your classmates will fail on their first attempt."

Harry nodded, remembering his first attempts at casting against the Patronus Boggart.

The rest of the meeting seemed routine to Harry. The Order worked out patrol schedules of the Alley, made contingency plans for the recapturing of the Death Eaters, and discussed the best strategies for convincing the Minister to take more decisive action. It was close to midnight by the time that the meeting adjourned. While normally members would linger and chat, the lateness of the hour meant that nearly everyone departed immediately.

Harry, however, lingered for a moment. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore were engaged in an intense conversation, but they both looked up when Harry cleared his throat.

"Yes, m'boy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I know that I'm supposed to report to the Room of Requirement as soon as the Express leaves Hogsmeade," Harry began slowly, "But, Professor, I really feel as though I should be on the train with my friends."

McGonagall looked ready to object immediately, but Dumbledore held up a restraining hand. "I understand your position on this, Harry. I will permit it, on the condition that you immediately return to Hogwarts via Portkey when the train safely reaches London."

Professor McGonagall broke in, "Albus, do you really think – "

"He drove off 100 dementors as a third year, Minerva. If the worst comes to pass, we may desperately need his assistance."

The Transfiguration Professor subsided, but Harry didn't think she was fully convinced by Dumbledore's argument.

"It is late, Harry. I suggest you return to your dorm and get a good night's rest. I suspect that Ms. Granger is quite the task master when it comes to revisions."

Harry nodded to both his Professors and departed, his mind abuzz with all of the new information. He hurried back to the dorms, eager to discuss his new knowledge with his closest friends.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

But, as Harry re-entered the Gryffindor Tower he quickly began to realize that his plans of a quiet chat with his closest friends would be impossible. The Common Room was in chaos. With just a glance, Harry observed that most of the students below fourth year had red eyes indicative of tears. The older students were loudly telling stories of the evil acts committed by Voldemort's followers during his previous reign of terror. Most disturbingly, Harry saw Neville seated silent and motionless in a chair by the fire. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny hovered nearby shooting him frequent concerned looks.

Harry sidled over to where his friends were waiting. "Why is everyone still in the Common Room? Surely at least the first years should be in bed by now."

Hermione looked troubled. "None of the Professors have been in to talk to us. I don't think that anyone is going to go to bed until they get some reassurance."

Ron jumped in, "You were gone for hours, mate. We've been sitting here going stir crazy. Do you have any information about what's happening?"

Harry looked around carefully and noted that their private conversation was beginning to garner some attention from their Housemates.

"Yes, I spoke to Professor Dumbledore," Harry answered carefully. A hush began to fall over the room as most people realized that someone with more information had entered.

"And what did he say?"

The eager interruption from a pushy seventh-year boy annoyed Harry for a moment. However, he calmed himself as he looked around and saw the tear stained faces of the younger years and formulated an encouraging response.

"He told me that, after the breaches of Hogwarts by Dementors two years ago, he set up a special ward around the grounds that would prevent any Dementors from entering. The ward takes twelve months to activate; but as of last July, it is fully powered. We are completely safe from Dementors here."

Another voice chimed in, this one much younger, quieter, and more frightened. "But what about his followers? Cormac said that there's a lady who tortures people until they're crazy just for fun."

Neville gave a violent start as he heard that question and attracted several curious stares. Harry noted with rapidly increasing concern that his eyes appeared completely vacant.

He addressed the second year directly, but made sure that his voice carried to throughout the Common Room. "Voldemort –" he had to pause as people gasped at hearing the name spoken, "– and his followers are extremely ruthless and dangerous. However, Professor Dumbledore is the only wizard who he has ever feared. We are safer here than we are anywhere else."

There were some murmurs throughout the Common Room but it appeared that at least the younger students had begun to calm down. As people turned their focus away from Harry and his group of friends, he turned his attention to the more pressing concern of Neville. He glanced at Ron and Hermione. "As Prefects, do you think that you guys could begin to clear the Common Room of the younger students?"

Hermione nodded decisively and began herding the younger students efficiently upstairs. Ron was clearly more reluctant to assist; but he nonetheless trailed after Hermione and added in the occasional, "Come on now! McGonagall will have our heads if she finds out we were crowding the Common Room at this hour."

Ginny had been sitting in a chair across from Neville and looked at Harry hopelessly as she stood. "I don't know what's wrong," she whispered. "He has been sitting here in a daze for hours. He hasn't spoken since we got back from the Great Hall."

Harry nodded. He was completely out of his depth. "Can you go to the infirmary and get Madam Pomfrey?"

Ginny shook her head. "I wish I could. The portrait is sealed. No one can leave, and I can't even hear the Fat Lady."

Harry's gut clenched as he took in the scene. By now, most of the younger years had gone upstairs and the older years were beginning to drift in that direction as well. Neville's motionlessness was made more conspicuous by the movement around him. His pale face stuck out against the scarlet char in which he was sitting, hands clenched at his sides and feet planted firmly on the floor.

"Okay," he said softly to Ginny. "You go upstairs to your dorm. Ron and I will get Neville upstairs once the place clears out."

Ginny shot him a dubious look but nodded and slipped away to join the other fourth year girls. Harry wasn't sure if sending her away was the right thing to do, but some instinct was telling him that Neville would need privacy. He slipped into the chair that Ginny had just vacated and sat nervously as the last of the students headed up to the dormitories. Soon, the only students remaining in the Common Room were Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. Ron and Hermione approached uncomfortably.

Modulating her voice so that it would be difficult for Neville to hear, Hermione leaned in to talk to the two boys, "I think that Ron and I should head upstairs, Harry. I'm sure that Neville doesn't want an audience right now."

Ron nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah mate, we'll wait for you in the boy's dorm and you can tell us about what's happening with the Order."

Harry looked desperately at Hermione. "But why me? Wouldn't you be better at this? I don't even know what to say."

Hermione glanced over at the chair where Neville was sitting, "Harry, I think that you understand what Neville's going through a lot better than anyone else here. I know it's not comfortable, but until we can get Madam Pomfrey, I think you're the best person to stay with him."

Harry felt the weight of responsibility settle heavily onto his shoulders. He was reminded of the exceedingly painful conversation that he had recently had with Professor Dumbledore. _In the end, it always seems to come down to me,_ he mused, indulging in a moment of self-pity.

As Hermione and Ron strategically retreated from the Common Room. Harry settled a bit more into the chair directly across from where Neville was perched. "Neville?" he asked tentatively.

There was no response.

Slowly, Harry reached out. Remembering the night before, he stayed within Neville's sight and slowly reached out to grip his friend's shoulder. But unlike the previous evening, the move seemed to cause further upset. As soon as Harry made contact, his friend violently jerked away, unseating himself from the chair entirely. Harry winced as Neville tumbled to the floor. However, the fall did have the effect of partially snapping his friend back into reality.

"H-H-Harry," Neville stuttered but he made no move to get up from the floor. "They're all free. I can't, I can't…" his voice trailed off as he began to breathe erratically.

Harry began to panic slightly. Worry sharpened his voice as he slid down to the floor to join Neville and firmly grasped his shoulder, forcing Neville to meet his eyes. "Neville, take a breath." He paused for a moment until Neville had followed his instructions. "And another one." He coached the panicked boy through another several breaths before his breathing leveled off. Once Neville had reached some semblance of calm, Harry let out a deep breath of his own.

The two sat on the floor in silence for several minutes before Neville began to speak. When he did, his voice was quiet, haunted. "I think that something's wrong with me. I keep replaying the events of that night over and over. Every time I think about it I feel like I can't breathe."

Harry considered the fire as he gathered his thoughts. He couldn't help but remember the times during the previous year when Sirius had appeared there to help him. His stomach gave an unpleasant jolt and he wondered if Neville was feeling something similar.

"I think about it a lot too. I keep thinking that, if I hadn't been so naïve, Sirius would still be alive and Dumbledore wouldn't have had to tell me-" Harry trailed off as he realized what he had almost revealed.

Neville was too preoccupied to notice the slip. "Do you think that-"

But whatever Neville was about to say was cut off as the portrait hole rattled for a moment. Neville's breathing quickened as he slid himself between the couch and the chair, so that he was fully concealed from view.

Harry looked worriedly at his friend, 'I'm sure it's just McGonagall taking down the lockdown ward so she can check on us."

Nevertheless, Harry found himself surreptitiously sliding his wand into his hand. _Constant Vigilance,_ he reminded himself, with a ghost of a grin.

Moments later, the door opened to reveal Professor McGonagall. She was not yet in her tartan nightgown, so she had clearly come straight to the Tower from her post-meeting consultation with Professor Dumbledore. Her eyes widened as she took in the almost empty common room and a look of concern appeared when she saw Harry sitting, apparently alone, in the nook by the fireplace.

"Mr. Potter," she began, crossing the room in several strides, "is everything alright?"

Harry stood up and took a few steps forward, blocking the Professor's view of the gap between the chair and the couch. "It's Neville, Professor. I think that something's really wrong."

"And where is Mr. Longbottom?"

Harry gestured helplessly behind him. A sense of relief flooded him. Professor McGonagall would know what to do. He watched as McGonagall took a few steps forward. "Mr. Longbottom," she spoke hesitantly, still not seeing Neville behind the chair.

"Y-Y-Yes Professor," answered Neville's quiet and shaky voice. McGonagall gave a start as she realized that Neville appeared to be hiding.

"Come out immediately, Mr. Longbottom. Are you injured in some way?"

Neville seemed to gather himself and stood up slowly, gripping the chair the whole while. "No, Professor. I'm not hurt."

"Well then, up to bed with you. Clearly you need a good night's rest, Mr. Longbottom."

Neville seemed to recognize the Professor's words; however, he didn't relinquish his white-knuckled grip on the chair. Harry was worried that Professor McGonagall didn't seem to understand what was going on. "C'mon, Neville," he encouraged softly, stepping past the Transfigurations Professor to guide his friend by the elbow. "Let's head up to the dorm."

The look of concern on McGonagall's face deepened as she observed the two fifth year students. As the two crossed the Common Room and approached the spiral staircase, she called out, "Mr. Potter, a word, if you please."

Harry nodded and stepped away from Neville. Luckily, the boy had calmed himself enough to continue up to the Fifth-Year Dormitory without any further assistance.

Uncharacteristically, McGonagall settled herself onto one of the plush Common Room chairs. In all of Harry's years at Hogwarts he had never seen his formidable Head of House seated in Gryffindor Tower. "Sit down, Mr. Potter." She invited. Harry hesitantly took the chair across from the Professor, the same one that Neville had recently vacated.

"When did you first notice that Mr. Longbottom's unusual behavior?"

"Early this morning, Professor. I woke up early and realized that Neville wasn't sleeping yet. I went down to the dungeons and got a dreamless sleep potion from Professor Snape for him."

"Did Mr. Longbottom confide in you?"

Harry wasn't sure how much to share without betraying the confidence of a friend. He decided that speaking in general terms would be safe. "I think that meeting Lestrange was difficult for him." The rising lump in his throat was making it more difficult to explain. "She used the Cruciatus Curse on him for a few seconds."

McGonagall inhaled softly. It was clear that she hadn't been aware of that detail. With a wave of her hand, Harry was encouraged to continue. He went right to the part of the problem that frightened him the most. "He was just sitting here on the couch. But, when I touched his shoulder, he fell onto the floor and had trouble breathing."

McGonagall nodded again. "Thank you, Harry. I will speak to Madame Pomfrey and Neville in the morning. This is a known reaction to experiencing a traumatic event. Madame Pomfrey is well equipped to handle it."

Harry was immediately reassured. The knowledge that there was a way to help Neville was a weight off his mind. One less mistake on his conscience.

"I think you should get up to bed, Mr. Potter. If I recall, you have several hours of studying to complete tomorrow."

Harry nodded and stood. He looked awkwardly at his Professor, not sure what to say. Finally, he settled on a brief nod and started his way upstairs. As his foot touched the bottom step the sound of McGonagall's voice halted him. She had not moved from her position on the chair.

"I'm proud of you, Mr. Potter. It won't surprise you to know that I opposed your membership in the Order based on your age. However, it is becoming clearer to me that Professor Dumbledore knew exactly what he was doing when he designed your repayment policy."

While the opinion of his Head of House flattered Harry, he also resolved to carefully read the repayment policy the first spare minute he had. Clearly, more was going to be expected of him than running a school club.

Harry headed up into the dorm to get some sleep. If the next few days were anything like this one, he was going to need it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

It seemed like only seconds had passed from when Harry slipped beneath the sheets of his four-poster bed in the Fifth-Year Boys Dormitory to when he was shaken awake by a blur with very bushy hair.

"Harry," the blur hissed, clearly attempting not to awaken the other inhabitants of the room. "It's time to get up and continue to review for History of Magic. If we start now, we can finish before lunch and still have time to plan the DA meeting for this evening."

Harry groaned and blindly reached over to his bedside table. Finding his glasses and placing them onto his forehead, the blur quickly resolved into one of his closest friends, Hermione Granger.

"Hermione, what time is it?"

"It's almost seven," Hermione said briskly. "I thought we could grab a bit of breakfast before we get started. Ron's already waiting downstairs."

That got Harry's attention. "Ron is up and dressed already? He loves to have a lie in."

Hermione looked amused, "Well, I may have told him that there's a pickup Quidditch game on the pitch this morning."

Harry recalled a pertinent detail from the Order meeting last night. "No students will be allowed outside the castle without direct supervision for the duration of the year. The Professors can't afford to keep an eye on the grounds."

Hermione let out a brief chuckle. "Well, it worked, didn't it? Besides, we're hoping to have a word with Professor Dumbledore at breakfast."

Harry realized that Hermione and Ron wanted to join the Order too. He knew that if Dumbledore had intended to allow that, then they would have been present at the meeting last night. However, he decided to keep quiet and let them try. It would be nice to have his two closest friends there with him.

Realizing a reply was expected, Harry nodded to his friend. "I'll be down in a minute."

Hermione gave him a smile and retreated down the staircase to wait for him with Ron.

As Harry dressed, his eyes drifted over the closed curtains of Neville's bed. He hoped his friend was doing better after the debacle of last night. His chest tightened as he recalled Neville's panic and difficulty breathing. _Madame Pomfrey will know what to do._ He reassured himself. _She must._

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the three friends entered the Great Hall. While Harry headed for the Gryffindor Table, Ron and Hermione made a beeline for the Head Table where Professor Dumbledore was already seated, along with Professors Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout.

Harry kept an eye on the conversation as he served himself some toast and pumpkin juice. It didn't appear to be going well. While Professor Dumbledore's face remained inscrutable, Professor Snape's face was growing more thunderous by the second. He watched as Hermione gesticulated, trying to make her point, and as Ron provided steadfast support. However, a very small shake of Professor Dumbledore's head made the final answer very clear, even from Harry's position halfway across the hall. Ron and Hermione would not be joining the Order of the Phoenix. Harry quickly refocused his attention on his juice as Ron and Hermione returned from the Head Table. Hermione looked disappointed and Ron looked furious.

"They won't let us fight with you, mate," Ron's outburst was expected, but Harry was pleased that he had toned his voice so that their conversation remained private. "Just because we aren't out of school doesn't mean we can't fight!"

Hermione looked resigned. "Professor Dumbledore's decision is final though. I don't see what we can do."

Harry looked at his friends and was overwhelmed by their loyalty. He knew that they didn't want to fight in a war for the excitement or for the glory, but rather because they wanted to help him. The emptiness that Harry had been feeling since the passing of Sirius receded slightly. He decided to point out something that Hermione had, quite surprisingly, overlooked. "Joining the Order isn't the only way to contribute to the war effort," Harry reminded his friends. "I have to be in the Order for reasons that I'm not ready to talk about yet, but you two can still learn to defend yourselves and make sure that you're prepared if we are attacked."

Ron seemed to seize on the idea. "That's true! We could expand the DA. If the adults have their Order, there's no reason that we can't have our own."

Hermione seemed to brighten as well. "We can be prepared for anything. After all, the Death Eaters aren't going to stop and ask us if we've graduated yet when they are attacking."

Harry's stomach dropped. He hadn't meant to suggest that they turn Dumbledore's Army into an actual army to defend the school. He realized that, although Ron and Hermione had stood by his side during his various exploits, they had been somewhat insulated from the consequences of those experiences. They hadn't lost anyone they loved or seen anyone die in front of them. They had never faced Voldemort alone.

But despite those reservations, Harry realized that the idea had some real merit. If they could prepare a group of students to defend the castle in the case of an attack, it would give the younger students time to evacuate and the teachers time to prepare a counterattack. He fell into a contemplative silence as he considered the point further.

His train of thought was disrupted several minutes later when Hermione tapped him on the shoulder. "Harry, are you done eating?" she asked, enthusiasm bleeding into her voice. "I want to get started on those History of Magic revisions right away!"

As Harry allowed himself to be led away, he realized that at least there was at least one constant in his life. Hermione would always love revising.

* * *

Six agonizing hours later, Harry was ready to give up on the idea of retaking his OWLs. He had completed his review of the first-year and second-year material for History of Magic and had begun looking at the third-year material. The only positive aspect of the experience was that he had begun to find a more efficient studying method. By only reviewing the questions that were on the exams given in those classes, Harry could significantly narrow his focus to the relevant material. Hermione was thrilled too. "Oh my," she exclaimed. "Imagine if I had known this during my initial revisions! I could have spent more time on Defense Against the Dark Arts! This will be so helpful when it comes time for NEWTs!" She closed the book she was holding. "I think that we're done for today, right Harry?"

"Absolutely," he agreed wholeheartedly. If Hermione was ready to stop for the day, he was certainly not going to argue with her. "We need to do some planning for the DA meeting tonight and check on Neville anyway."

Hermione's face crumpled at the reminder. "What happened last night? When you came upstairs it was too late to really talk."

Harry didn't know how to explain the terror that seemed to be haunting Neville. He settled on simply saying, "It really shook him up to learn that every prisoner in Azkaban was freed. After what happened at the Ministry, he was already pretty upset."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." The answer slipped out automatically.

"It's okay if you aren't, you know. I'm not sure how I would react if I had to see Dolohov again."

Harry looked up and met Hermione's eyes. He saw that it cost her a lot to share that.

"The entire night was an awful, awful mistake."

Hermione nodded. "It was the first time I'd ever realized how far they would go. Dolohov wanted to kill me. If he hadn't been silenced, he would have succeeded. Madame Pomfrey said that, as it was, it was really close."

Harry shivered despite the warmth of the sun shining in through the window of the Library. He'd learned what Voldemort and his followers would do on Halloween of 1981; but, the idea of Hermione being killed was devastating. She, of all his friends in the wizarding world, was the only one who understood what it was like to learn of the existence of a secret society and to discover the wonders that it held. She and Ron frequently argued, but Harry had always understood her burning desire to absorb all she could about magic.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione."

"Oh Harry, you don't have to apologize. None of this was your fault. We were tricked."

Harry knew that. But he also knew that he had to do better. If he didn't improve, people would continue to die.

"Oi, Harry!"

The voice from the doorway was loud enough that it caught the attention of Madam Pince.

"Shhh," she demanded with a scowl on her face. Ron's face colored to match his hair as he contritely made his way over to where Harry and Hermione were seated.

"Aren't you two finished yet? It's been hours. I'm going stir crazy trapped in the castle on such a beautiful day."

Hermione couldn't resist teasing her friend, "No pick-up Quidditch games to be had?"

Harry quickly disguised the laughter that bubbled up as a cough when Ron turned in his direction. "I would have gotten up on my own, you know! I don't have to be bribed with Quidditch to get up early."

Harry snickered at his bickering friends. It was good to know that some things would never change. "I know, Ron. We are done with revisions though. I'm glad you're here because really need to discuss what we are going to cover at the DA meeting tonight."

Ron, who had been enjoying the banter, quickly sobered and took a seat at the table with them. "Obviously, the first order of business has to be reviewing the Patronus charm. With all those Dementors loose, the students have to be able to protect their families over the Holidays."

Hermione agreed, "Being able to cast the charm is relatively rare. Some of the students may be the only ones in their family who know how. They may be able to hold off the Dementors until help arrives."

Harry had given the meeting some serious thought already. "It's settled then. We start the meeting with a review of the charm. But, at the Order meeting, Professor Dumbledore suggested that the Express may be a prime target for an attack. He's stationing Professors on board to protect the train, but we need to be prepared as well. Once we figure out which students can cast a corporeal Patronus, we should place them in compartments with younger students who won't have any defenses."

Both Ron and Hermione paled as they realized that the train may be threatened. "Why doesn't Professor Dumbledore just arrange for the students to Floo or Portkey home? Surely that would be safer?"

"That's what I thought to," said Harry, "But, according to Professor Dumbledore, the Floo and Portkeys are susceptible to tampering if advance notice of the departure and arrival points is given. Since the parents would have to be notified, it makes it a more dangerous choice."

Ron nodded. "Given the choice between being attacked by Dementors or being kidnapped by Death Eaters, I know what the better option is."

"So, we accept volunteers to protect the train and station them in cabins with the younger students. That's a good plan. Which Professors will be on the train?" Hermione looked like she hoped that Dumbledore himself would be present.

"Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall."

"What about Dumbledore?" asked Ron. "Surely he can cast a Patronus."

"He can," Harry explained, "but if he's on the train then he won't be available if another location is attacked. He's planning to monitor the Express and if its' speed changes, he will Apparate to it immediately."

"Sounds like they give you a lot of information in those Order meetings, mate." Ron couldn't contain the brief hint of jealousy that entered his voice.

Harry knew he had to be careful to avoid an argument with his oldest and closest friend. "Mostly the meeting was really boring. The information is useful, but there's no reason for all of us to sit through hours and hours of meetings."

Ron seemed to accept that explanation and moved on, "So, is there anything else we should do at the meeting tonight?"

Harry was mostly sure that they had covered everything but he looked to Hermione for confirmation.

"I think that's everything," she agreed. "I should probably head up to my dorm and start packing for the trip home. I don't want to have to rush."

Ron and Harry shared a grin. Both knew that they would be completing their packing the morning of departure. Ron stood as well, "Dean was looking for an Exploding Snap partner. Since Quidditch isn't an option, I figured that I would go hang out in the Great Hall with him until dinner. Want to join us, Harry?"

Harry was tempted but knew he needed to decline. "I should probably see how Neville's doing."

The three friends shared a look as they recalled what had occurred the previous night.

"His curtains were still shut when I popped up to look for the two of you a little while ago." Ron volunteered the information hesitantly, knowing how difficult a time it was for both of his friends.

Harry nodded and began to gather up the scattered books from the table. "I'll start there then. Thanks, Ron."

Ron clapped Harry on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, mate. We always get through this stuff."

Harry nodded on autopilot and walked ahead of his friends as Ron and Hermione continued to banter about Quidditch. He allowed a smile to ghost across his face. _At least I have good friends to get through this with._

* * *

Walking into his dorm room, Harry was nervous again. What if his disruption caused Neville to panic again?

He entered the dimly lit room and noted that Ron was correct. Neville's curtains had not moved since he closed them as he went to bed late last night.

"Neville?" Harry called cautiously. "Are you awake?"

There was no immediate verbal reply, but Harry heard movement from behind the curtains.

He decided to try again. "I figure you haven't had a chance to eat yet. I missed lunch so I was about to head down to the kitchens to get a snack from the House Elves. Do you want to join me?"

Just as he finished the sentence, the curtains opened. Harry wasn't surprised to see that his friend didn't look healthy. There were large bags under his eyes and his face was paler than usual. His hair was mussed and it was clear that he hadn't gotten very much sleep.

"Hey, Harry." The voice was hoarser than normal.

"Hey, Neville," said Harry, cautious once again. He made sure to stay well away from Neville, not wanting to upset him by reaching out like he had the previous evening.

"I don't feel up to lunch right now, but I'll be up in time for the DA meeting this evening." Neville moved to shut the curtains again.

"Neville, wait!" Harry took a half-step forward as Neville met his eyes. "You don't look very well. Why don't I walk up to the Hospital Wing with you?"

"I'm fine." Neville said flatly, clearly intending to end the discussion.

Harry realized that he had to press. "I'm not sure if you are. You look even more tired than you did last night."

Neville sagged back against his pillows. "I'm just exhausted. I need sleep, not a stay in the Hospital Wing."

"Madame Pomfrey is good at helping with things like that. And she never asks to many questions." Harry paused as Neville considered the offer.

"Alright." His stubborn friend finally conceded and ducked into the bathroom to get dressed.

While he waited, Harry busied himself by organizing his schoolbooks. _Perhaps Hermione has the right idea by packing early_ , he considered. _It certainly would help me keep my trunk in order._

When Neville reemerged he and Harry wordlessly descended the spiral staircase and exited Gryffindor Tower. On the walk to the Hospital Wing they did not speak. It seemed to Harry that Neville was embarrassed and Harry didn't want to do anything to make things worse for his shy friend.

When they arrived at Madame Pomfrey's domain, her reaction was predictable. After a few cursory questions, Neville was hustled into a bed and Harry was asked to leave. He hovered in the doorway for a moment. "I'll see you later, Neville."

Neville nodded uncomfortably from his position in the bed. "See you."

As he exited, Harry couldn't contain his sigh of relief. He knew from personal experience that Madame Pomfrey wouldn't allow Neville to leave until she was certain that he was well.

* * *

After dropping Neville off in the infirmary, Harry wandered down to the Great Hall, where he took a great deal of enjoyment from watching Ron get trounced at Exploding Snap. Because Ron usually confined himself to chess it was rare to see him lose. His best friend certainly had a head for strategy, but Snap was, in many ways, a game of luck. Luck was not with Ron today. After having his eyebrows singed for the fourth time in a row, Ron decided to sit out the remainder of the competition. An eager third year Hufflepuff took his place in short order.

Eventually, the tables of the Hall reset themselves and dinner was served. Harry was preoccupied by considering the upcoming DA meeting and barely noticed his surroundings as he served himself potatoes, roast, and a glass of pumpkin juice. Ron was across from him enjoying a spirited conversation about the merits of Wizarding Chess with Dean and Seamus. Hermione and Ginny were chatting about their Holiday plans, and Neville was notable in his absence.

It was almost a surprise when Harry realized that dinner was over and it was time to head to the Room of Requirement and set up for the meeting. Ron and Hermione fell into step beside him and the other Gryffindors in the DA promised to meet them upstairs around eight.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Although the DA hadn't been active since the Marietta Edgecombe debacle, the entrance to the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor remained unchanged. When Harry paced three times in front of the empty wall across from the Barnabas the Barmy tapestry, the door to the room obligingly appeared.

Entering, Harry was pleased to see that the room had anticipated his needs perfectly. On one side stood a large open area, clearly meant for casting spells. On the other side of the room was a comfortable seating area filled with couches and chairs in a circular configuration. There were only two very important details missing. Harry realized that there was likely one solution to both of his problems. "Dobby," he called softly.

It took only a moment for the extremely excitable house elf to appear. "Harry Potter has called Dobby!" He exclaimed, "What can Dobby do for the great Harry Potter?"

"Well, Dobby, you know about the mass breakout of Azkaban?"

Dobby nodded solemnly, twisting his ears in dismay. "Yes, Dobby hears about this. Dobby knows that there are very, very bad men loose. And the Dementys are free too." The elf gave a dramatic shiver.

"Tonight, my friends and I are going to learn how to drive away the Dementors." Harry explained. "But to do that, we need something to practice on. Do you know of any Boggarts in the castle?"

Dobby smiled brightly. "Oh, yes, Harry Potter! There is a Boggart in the big wooden cabinet in the third classroom to the right on the left side of the third floor!"

Harry smiled, pleased with that information. "Dobby, do you think that you could bring that cabinet here without opening it or hurting the Boggart?"

Dobby snapped his fingers and in an instant the cabinet appeared against the far wall. It rattled rather ominously. "Thanks, Dobby! You're the greatest." Harry said, grateful for the assistance of the peculiar elf.

Dobby was overwrought with joy at being able to help Harry Potter. "Is there anything else that Dobby can do?"

Harry nodded. "Actually, Dobby, there is one more thing. Do you happen to know if there is any extra chocolate in the kitchens? Chocolate is the best thing to combat dementor exposure."

Dobby was so excited that he began to jump up and down, his red and purple knee length socks falling to his ankles as he did so.

"Elves," he called excitedly, "The students are needing extra chocolates to practice stopping the Dementys!"

Suddenly, there were ten elves in the room, each holding an armload of chocolates.

They quickly conjured a table off to the side of the sitting area and began to arrange the chocolates on top. Harry was pleased to see that one of the elves had brought a large cask of hot chocolate. Harry was certain that he would be drinking it generously tonight.

When the elves finished arranging the chocolates they turned and stared at Harry. "Erm, thank you all so much," Harry stuttered, suddenly uncomfortable.

"You're welcome, Harry Potter." All ten elves spoke in unison and Harry had to admit that it was a bit unnerving. Across the room, Ron snickered at his predicament.

"Do you need anything else, Harry Potter?" Dobby prompted.

"Uhh no, this is great. Thank you again."

With a pop, the elves, except for Dobby were gone as quickly as they arrived. Dobby stayed an extra moment to give Harry a hug around his knees, causing said knees to buckle under the force. "Harry Potter is a great wizard! Dobby is so happy to help Harry Potter!"

At this, Ron couldn't hold back a full-blown laugh as Harry attempted to politely extricate himself. "Thank you again, Dobby. You were a great help."

Dobby gave a beaming smile and with a pop returned to the kitchens with the other elves.

Hermione stepped forward. "You intend to have us practice with a Boggart-created Dementor?"

Harry shrugged, "It's how Lupin taught me. It seemed to work. But I'm only going to let people who already have corporeal Patronusses practice with the Boggart. When I used this method with an incorporeal form, I kept passing out."

Ron sent his friend a look of concern. "But what's going to shield you from the effects of the Dementor while you maintain the Boggart's form?"

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Ron, but the Boggart doesn't put out anything approaching the power of a real Dementor. It was a difficult experience when I was a third year, but during the Triwizard Tournament the Boggart Dementor didn't faze me nearly as much. I'm not worried about it."

His friends both nodded, accepting that explanation. Bravado aside, Harry did intend to have a mug of chocolate in his hands throughout the practice session.

The clock on the far wall chimed eight as Harry and his friends settled on a couch in the sitting area. Moments later, the door to the room opened and the Gryffindors walked in. Harry raised his eyebrows though. There were more Gryffindors present than usual. While normally there were about fifteen Gryffindors, including himself, Ron, and Hermione, today at least thirty-five students walked through the door. The Hufflepuffs were next. Another twenty students entered the room. And finally, almost thirty Ravenclaws came inside.

Harry cast a panicked look at Hermione. "How is this possible? I thought that the jinx on the parchment prevented anyone from speaking about the DA."

Hermione shook her head. "The spell on the parchment is geared toward malicious betrayal. If the person sharing the information has no intention to do harm, the jinx will not activate. With Umbridge gone, I'm guessing that most people feel as though they can talk about our group.

Harry nodded, understanding now how this could have happened. He wasn't overly pleased though. _There isn't even enough space for eighty-five students in the Room_ , he mused.

As soon as he finished the thought, the students gasped as the room tripled in size. Suddenly, instead of couches, there were beanbags scattered around the sitting area. It took very little convincing for the students to sit down and get comfortable as they looked expectantly towards Harry.

Harry stood and faced the group, clearing his throat as he did so. The sound echoed throughout the room, which had become silent with anticipation.

"Welcome, everyone." Harry did his best to disguise the fact that he felt hopelessly out of his depth. "I'm surprised to see so many here this evening."

He looked around, wondering if anyone would comment, but the room remained quiet. Straightening his shoulders, Harry continued. "I know it's been a few months since the last meeting of the DA; however, with the recent release of the Dementors from Azkaban, it seemed wise to review the Patrons Charm. Initially, I had planned to have all members of the DA who can cast a corporeal Patronus practice their technique on a Boggart while others worked individually; but, I find it unlikely that anyone below third year will have much success with the Charm."

Harry noted several crestfallen faces among the first and second years who had entered the room with the older students. Harry had a sudden inspiration. "Therefore, we will also introduce the first and second year students who are here to the Disarming Charm. Do I have any volunteers to work with the younger years on this?"

Ernie McMillan stepped forward. "I'd be pleased to, Harry. I already have a corporeal Patronus and I don't believe that I need much review of the spell."

Harry nodded his assent. Ernie was a good choice. As a Prefect, he had a reputation for being fair and was well respected by his peers. He also was unlikely to allow any situations with the charm to spiral out of control.

"Right, then. First and Second years follow Ernie over to the far corner of the room. Everyone else, follow me for a quick review of the Patronus Charm."

Out of the eighty-five students, there were only ten first and second years, so the bulk of the students followed Harry. He gathered them around the cabinet holding the Boggart. "For the members of the DA who are here, this will be review. For everyone else, remember that this charm is quite advanced; it's beyond NEWT level. So, if you don't have success, don't worry."

The student's eyes were drawn away from Harry as the cabinet rattled ominously. Harry laughed, "Don't worry, that's just a Boggart. It turns into a Dementor around me, so we'll be able to use it to practice the Patronus Charm. The incantation is _Expecto Patronum_. But, the key to the spell is a happy memory. The happier the memory that you're thinking of when you cast, the more powerful the spell will be. I'll demonstrate."

Harry paused for a moment to pull out his wand. Closing his eyes, he recalled his memory of discovering the Wizarding World. " _Expecto Patronum_ ," he called.

Prongs appeared in front of him and pawed the ground imperiously. Mutters broke out among the new students who had not seen Harry perform the spell before.

Harry waved his wand, idly cancelling the spell, and Prongs disappeared. "Now," Harry said, "Everyone spread out and give it a try."

He watched as the group spread out around the room, giving a wide berth to the first and second years to avoid being hit by a stray disarming spell.

Hermione was, predictably, the first to accomplish the spell. " _Expecto Patronum_ ," she cried, and a shimmering otter appeared. Although she had accomplished the spell before the Christmas Holidays, she still gave a satisfied smile as she directed the otter to move around the room.

The other DA members who knew how to cast Patronusses quickly followed her example. Soon, there were almost a dozen fully formed Patronusses gallivanting around the room. Harry took a moment to enjoy the sight of Ron's Jack Russell Terrier chasing Hermione's Otter. Hermione appeared less amused by Ron's antics. "Ronald," Harry heard her complain, "that's quite enough!"

The rest of the group appeared to be having a bit more trouble though. Harry saw several third years who weren't even able to conjure up a wisp of smoke, and even the fourth and fifth years who weren't original DA members seemed to be having a tough time. As he walked around, correcting spell pronunciation and reminding his peers to focus on a happy memory, he encountered a third year Hufflepuff boy who had a tear stained face.

"This spell works on happiness," Harry reminded him. "If you aren't thinking about a happy memory then you won't have any success."

The boy nodded but his countenance didn't change. Harry sighed, "What sort of memory are you using?"

"I'm thinking about the day that I got my Hogwarts letter. My entire family was so excited for me."

A smile ghosted across Harry's face. "I use the day I got my Hogwarts letter as the my Patronus memory too. If the memory is a happy one, then why do you look so upset?"

"I have to learn how to do this. No one in my family has magic except me. I'm the only one who can protect them."

Harry understood, better than the boy knew. _I get it. I'm the only one who can protect all of you._ Although he thought the words, they didn't cross his lips. Instead, he patted the boy on his shoulder and told him, "I know that it's difficult. But, for this to work, you must focus on a happy memory. If you use a memory that evokes negative emotions, it's a poor choice."

The boy nodded. "Maybe I should use a memory of Christmas. Every year, my family and I go into London and explore Harrods."

"Try it now and see."

The boy's face screwed up into an expression of intense concentration. "Expecto Patronum," he called. As he opened his eyes, several wisps of smoke appeared. The smile on his face was bright enough to power a Patronus all on its own.

Harry smiled also, and moved on. After about thirty minutes of watching the group practice, twelve students in total had managed to conjure a corporeal Patronus, excluding himself and Ernie.

Harry called for a halt to the practicing. "Very good work everyone. While an incorporeal Patronus will be successful in delaying a Dementor, a corporeal one is required to drive it away. Therefore, the students who successfully conjured a corporeal Patronus can now practice the Charm on a Boggart-created Dementor.

There were excited looks from the students who had been successful, and several disappointed looks from the students who had not successfully cast the corporeal version of the spell.

Harry approached the cabinet containing the Boggart, "Who would like to go first?"

There was a moment of silence before Ron stepped forward. "I'll give it a go, Harry." Only the slight paling of his face behind his freckles gave away his nerves.

Harry nodded to his friend and had him stand about eight feet away from the cabinet, slightly to the side, out of the Boggart's direct line of sight. Positioning himself directly in front of the cabinet, but further back than Ron, Harry raised his wand to the cabinet. " _Alohomora_ ," he incanted.

With a click, the lock opened. Moments later a fully-formed Dementor glided out. A slight breeze seemed to pass through the room and the students shivered as the faux-Dementor began to leech the happiness from its' surroundings.

Ron took half a step back, but bravely raised his wand. " _Expecto Patronum_ ," he called, voice quivering slightly. A large quantity of mist was expelled from his wand. The Dementor was halted briefly, but quickly swept the mist away and continued to glide forward.

Ron's expression was fearful but determined. He incanted again, more strongly this time, " _Expecto Patronum_!"

This time, a fully-formed Jack Russell Terrier appeared. It quickly began to drive the Dementor back towards the cabinet. Harry could have cheered. Instead, he leveled his wand at the Boggart. " _Riddiculous_ ," he said, and the force of the spell pushed the Boggart back into the cabinet, the latch clicking shut behind it.

As Ron cancelled his spell and the terrier disappeared, Harry stepped towards his friend with a broad grin. "Well done, Ron!"

Spontaneous applause broke out from behind him, and Ron turned with a huge grin. Harry was glad to see Ron get some much-deserved praise.

"Who's next?" He asked the group, optimistic for the first time about the safety of the Hogwarts Express.

Lee Jordan, Terry Boot, and Justin Finch-Fletchley all successfully repelled the Dementor before Zacharias Smith stepped forward. "Smith, you don't have a corporeal Patronus," Harry pointed out. "I'm not sure that you want to give this a go."

Smith looked at Harry somewhat disdainfully. "Of course, I want to try. If Weasley can do it, so can I."

As Ron began an outraged protest, Harry stepped forward to block the boy from making a mistake; but, Smith had already cast the Unlocking Spell and released the Boggart. Unfortunately, Harry was still in the Boggart's line of sight; so, it was a Dementor that glided out of the cabinet.

" _Expecto Patronum_ ," Smith incanted weakly. A small amount of silvery mist was released from his wand; but, it was not nearly enough to even slow the Dementor's progress.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM_ ," Smith tried, again. However, the increase in volume did not improve the quality of the spellcasting. This time, no mist was emitted from Smith's wand. The Dementor continued to advance, and Harry noticed that some of the younger years were beginning to strongly feel the effects of the Dementors. He himself was beginning to hear the echoes of a past that was best left forgotten.

" _Riddiculous_ ," Harry casted, intent on stopping Smith's display of foolishness. The Boggart was banished back into the cabinet and the only sound that could be heard was the soft whimpering of a first-year girl who had edged a little bit too close to the demonstration area. Ginny Weasley gently led her over to a beanbag and settled her with a mug of hot chocolate.

Smith looked around at the group and flushed. "Well, I'd like to see any of you do better!" He quickly stormed out of the room leaving an uncomfortable silence in his wake.

Harry decided that it would be best to let the incident pass unremarked. "Who would like to try next?" He asked, breaking the tension.

Despite the unpleasant interruption by Zacharias Smith, the rest of the meeting went smoothly. Although it took several tries, everyone who could cast a corporeal Patronus succeeded in using it to hold off the Boggart Dementor. After that, Harry dismissed the meeting, with the suggestion that everyone practice their Patronus as much as possible before the journey home.

Instead of leaving immediately, the younger students milled about eating chocolate while the DA members with corporeal Patronusses worked together to develop a plan to assist in protecting the train when it departed in two days. It was decided that a DA member who could cast a corporeal Patronus would be stationed in every third car with two friends who were capable of casting strong incorporeal Patronesses. That way, two could focus on shielding the nearby compartments, while the third drove the dementor away.

Harry was pleased with the plan and was also pleased with the more relaxed atmosphere of the DA, now that there was no fear of being caught by Umbridge or the Inquisitorial Squad. Between the success of the DA meeting and the promise of a summer at Hogwarts, Harry was feeling more optimistic than he had since before the disaster at the Department of Mysteries.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

The sun was shining through the curtains of his four-poster bed when Harry awoke the next morning. Feeling uncharacteristically well-rested, he stretched and rolled immediately out of bed. Glancing out the window he observed that an early morning mist had risen from the lake, giving the grounds an ethereal quality. Harry estimated that it couldn't be later than six-thirty.

"Ron," he whispered. "Hey, Ron." Only snores answered him. Feeling a pang of hunger, Harry abandoned the idea of waking his friend and crept quietly from the dormitory.

Twenty minutes later, Harry entered the Great Hall for breakfast. The meal hadn't started yet, so Harry was the first student in the Hall. He did notice; however, that several teachers were present at the Head Table. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape were all seated and talking quietly. Knowing that all three teachers were familiar with the Order, Harry decided to fill McGonagall in on their plan to defend the Hogwarts Express. Grasping the parchment on which he'd scribbled the details, he approached the Head Table.

Snape sneered at his approach, "What could you possibly want so early in the morning, Potter?" Harry got the sense that the man desired to be more insulting but restrained himself in the presence of his colleagues.

"Nonsense, Severus! Mr. Potter, how can we help you this morning?" Flitwick was, as usual, cheerful.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. What brings you to the Great Hall at such an early hour?" McGonagall seemed to realize that Harry may have some important information.

"Professor," Harry began quietly, "have the Educational Decrees that Umbridge implemented been lifted?"

"Worried about your precious broomstick, Potter?" Snape was, as usual malicious.

Harry ignored the bullying of the Potions Professor and waited for McGonagall's reply. "Yes, Potter. When _Former_ Undersecretary Umbridge was removed from her teaching post, the Headmaster was able to rescind all of the Educational Decrees." There was a swiftly concealed hint of glee in her features as she shared this information.

Harry nodded. "Then, I can tell you that there was a meeting of the DA last night. We practiced the Patronus Charm on a Dementor."

All three teachers stared at Harry. "Mr. Potter," Flitwick began, eyes widening in horror, "Do you mean to tell me that you were able to get a Dementor passed the wards?"

"Oh, no, Professor," Harry hastened to correct the misinterpretation, "we used a Boggart. It takes the form of a Dementor around me."

"And how much success did the members of your little group have?" Snape managed to make a reasonable question sound insulting.

"Fourteen of us were able to cast a corporeal Patronus that drove off the Boggart-Dementor. Another forty or so were able to cast incorporeal Patronusses; but, I didn't let them try it on the Boggart."

Snape sneered. "And why not?"

Harry shifted nervously and glanced at McGonagall and Flitwick. They both seemed curious in the answer also. "Well, it's how Professor Lupin taught me. But, until I had a corporeal form, I kept passing out."

Snape's sneer was firmly in place, but Harry noted that it looked slightly hollow. "No one passed out last night, I presume."

Harry resisted the urge to glare at his most-hated Professor. "No, Professor. Everyone who tried was able to repel the Dementor with their Patronus Charm."

McGonagall had focused on a different aspect of the tale. "Potter, just how many students attended your study group last night?"

Harry shrugged. "I think about eighty-five."

"Eighty-five? And of those, fourteen can cast a corporeal Patronus against a Boggart created Dementor? With another forty able to cast an incorporeal version?"

Harry nodded in confirmation.

"Mr. Potter, that is a rather remarkable achievement. I must commend you. The staff had no idea that your study group was so large."

Flitwick nodded agreeably and Snape looked as though he had swallowed a lemon.

"But, aside from letting us know, I presume there was a reason for you to come forward with this information." The tone of McGonagall's voice made it clear that a reply was expected.

"We developed a plan to protect the Hogwarts Express."

"Oh really, Potter. You and your school friends are going to defend the Express? Now that you're in the Order, you think that you have the authority to plan your own missions?"

Harry realized that Snape had not been present at the Order meeting where this had been decided. With a slight smirk, he watched as the Deputy Headmistress corrected the Potion Professor's misconceptions.

"Professor Snape, as you know, there are insufficient resources to guard all potential targets. In the event of an attack, the students will assist in repelling the initial wave while a team of Aurors led by Professor Dumbledore Portkeys onto the train." Turning back to Harry she raised her eyebrows, "Your plan, Mr. Potter."

Harry concisely laid out the plan that he had developed with his classmates the previous evening. When he had finished, McGonagall nodded in satisfaction. "To augment your plan, Professors Sprout and Flitwick will be patrolling the corridors while I will be in the compartment with the driver, prepared to signal for reinforcements and slow down the train."

"Why would the train have to be slowed down?"

"The team of Aurors will not be able to Portkey onto a moving train." Flitwick began. "The Magical Theory behind it is actually very interesting. It has something to do with –"

Flitwick's detailed explanation was cut off by Professor McGonagall, "Yes, thank you, Filius, but I am already familiar with Dewitt's Thesis on Portkey Passage Principles."

Harry thanked Merlin that Hermione wasn't here for this. If she were, he knew his morning would be spent researching the phenomenon in the Library.

The doors to the Great Hall opened and a few upper year Slytherins began to filter into the Hall. McGonagall's face became stern. "If there is nothing else, Mr. Potter."

"No, that's it. Thank you, Professors." Harry recognized that the student body at large wasn't to be made aware of how likely a Dementor attack was. He backed away from the Head Table and sat down at their usual spot near the end of the Gryffindor Table, helping himself to some eggs, hash, and pumpkin juice. He knew that Hermione would be along shortly to cajole him into studying for History of Magic.

* * *

 _Never bet against Hermione,_ Harry mused sullenly. Hermione had, in fact, appeared shortly after Harry had begun breakfast. She immediately shuffled Harry to the Library where they were again immersed in History of Magic. "Hermione," Harry ventured to ask. "Don't you think our time would be better spent preparing for a possible attack on the Express tomorrow rather than studying for History of Magic?"

Hermione shook her head. "The only thing that we will need to do is cast the Patronus Charm until the Order arrives. But, if you don't get into the Auror Program, you won't be prepared to join the war when you come of age."

Harry looked curiously at Hermione, "Do you want to be an Auror?"

"No, I don't. Defense is my weakest subject and I'm much more interested in Runes and Arithmancy. Spell creation also sounds like a very worthwhile pursuit. However, I know it's what you want to do."

 _It's what I have to do,_ Harry corrected her silently. He still wasn't ready to share the details of the prophecy with his closest friend. "Yeah," he said instead, the word sounding slightly hollow, even to his own ears.

Hermione didn't seem to notice though. "You've been given a wonderful opportunity, Harry. I just want to see you succeed. You deserve this."

Harry considered her words. He didn't understand what she meant by that, but again, he chose to remain silent. Sensing that Harry was done with the conversation, Hermione lowered her eyes to the book she was cradling. "So, to continue, what are the three main points of the Human-Centaur Relations Treaty of 1437?"

Harry barely resisted the urge to bang his head against the table. The only point of light that he could see in all of this was that he was already working on the third-year material. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to devote too much time to History while he was spending his summer in the Room of Requirement.

The quizzing continued and the hours ticked by slowly until finally the Clock Tower chimed out that it was four o'clock. Hermione looked up pin surprise. "Goodness, Harry, we've been here all day! I barely even noticed the time passing."

Harry snorted. He had been acutely aware of the passing time. He refrained from making a rude comment though. After all, Hermione was dedicating days of her time to help him prepare to re-take his exams.

He stood up with Hermione and began to organize the table that had become cluttered with hours of labor. The parchment, ink, and quill were hastily tucked back into his bag while Hermione carefully returned the books to their proper places on the shelves. Madam Pince's beady eye watched them all the while, ensuring that the books were not damaged or misplaced in the slightest.

"We should go and find Ron before the Feast," Harry commented. "He's probably been bored all day while we've been up in the Library."

Hermione agreed and the pair altered their path towards the Gryffindor Tower, Ron's most likely location.

* * *

Sure enough, Ron was in the Gryffindor Tower. They heard his voice long before they reached the Portrait of the Fat Lady. "YOU DID WHAT?" The angry bellow carried through the corridor and down the stairwell, causing a small gaggle of second years to turn around and go back the way they came.

"Oh dear," Hermione whispered. Harry realized that she knew what had Ron so upset.

"HOW COULD YOU ASK THEM AND NOT EVEN TELL ME?" The shouting continued.

"I didn't realize that I needed your approval to get a summer job, Ronald." Ginny's voice matched Ron's in volume but was much colder.

"BETWEEN YOU AND LEE, THEY DON'T NEED ANYMORE HELP. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ALL SUMMER ALONE?"

"That's not my problem. Why are you so unreasonable?"

By now, Harry and Hermione had reached the entrance to the Common Room. Ron and Ginny came into view, standing just inside the Portrait Hole. Ron was red in the face and Ginny was white with anger. Harry surmised that the twins had successfully opened their storefront in Diagon Alley and had chosen to hire Ginny and Lee Jordan. Ron was feeling left out.

"WAIT UNTIL I TELL MUM. SHE'LL NEVER ALLOW IT!"

"I already wrote her. She thinks it's a great idea." With that proclamation, Ginny slipped past Harry and Hermione and out the Portrait hole, leaving them to deal with a fuming Ron.

The angry redhead quickly rounded on Harry and Hermione. "Did you two know about this?"

Harry quickly shook his head. He truly hadn't known about Ginny's summer plans. Ron seemed satisfied with Harry's response and luckily didn't notice the slightly guilty expression on Hermione's face. "What am I supposed to do all summer?" he demanded.

Hermione put forth a tentative suggestion. "You could ask around Diagon Alley and see if there were any shops looking for an extra hand."

"Yeah," Ron challenged "Like where?"

"Maybe Eyelops," Hermione suggested, warming up to the idea. "You love Pig."

"Great," Ron muttered, still not satisfied. "A summer cleaning up after birds. That's all you think I can do?"

Harry sensed that this was about to turn into an argument. "Or, you could ask your dad if there's anything available at the Ministry. Maybe you could help him out for the summer."

Ron's eyes widened at that possibility. "Hey, maybe there's something available in the DMLE! I could help do the filing or something. It would be a foot in the door to becoming an Auror!"

Harry decided not to point out that Ron's grades would most likely preclude that possibility. There was no need to upset him when he was already feeling left out.

Hermione seemed to have the same thought because she quickly changed the subject. "So, have either of you seen Neville?"

Harry shook his head. "He's still not back from the Hospital Wing. Do you reckon we should stop up for a visit?"

Hermione and Ron both nodded. "Sure, there's still a few hours before the Feast."

* * *

Entering the Hospital Wing, the friends paused, confused by the fact that Neville wasn't present. Madame Pomfrey bustled over. "Are any of you injured?" Harry flushed as he realized that she was looking particularly at him.

"No, Madame Pomfrey, we just came to see Neville." Hermione's statement held a hint of a question as she looked around the empty Hospital Wing.

Madame Pomfrey looked confused. "I released Mr. Longbottom this morning with instructions to return directly to his dormitory until the Feast. Is he not there?"

Ron looked at Harry, "We didn't check in the dorm room before came here, did we?"

Harry felt foolish. He had been in the Library all day, he had no way of knowing whether Neville was released or not. He looked at the Hospital Wing Matron, "Sorry to bother you, Madame Pomfrey."

She smiled kindly, "It's no trouble, Mr. Potter. I'm glad to see you three are such good friends to Mr. Longbottom."

Harry and his friends exited the Hospital Wing. "It's still two hours until the Feast. What should we do?" Hermione was looking at Harry with eyes that suggested more studying in his future. Harry quickly made up an excuse.

"Actually, I'm pretty tired. I think I'm going to head back to the dorm and take a quick nap before dinner."

Ron and Hermione nodded. "Okay, Harry. See you then."

Harry and his friends walked up to the Gryffindor Tower, but Ron and Hermione picked a couch to relax on while Harry continued up to the dorm room. When he arrived, he was surprised to see that Neville's curtains were open and his bed was unoccupied.

A tendril of concern curled in Harry's stomach as he realized that his friend must have disobeyed Madame Pomfrey's instructions.

He pulled the Marauder's Map out of his trunk and scanned it quickly. For a moment, he felt fear as he realized that Neville was not in any of the heavily populated areas of the castle. Finally, he located the dot labelled "Neville Longbottom" alone in the Owlery. Harry was a bit surprised to see him there. _Neville has a toad, not an owl._ The situation was odd enough that Harry decided to forego his nap and go check on his friend.

Re-entering the Common Room, he was unsurprised to see Ron engrossed in a game of chess with a nervous looking third year girl and Hermione debating with a seventh-year prefect about curfew. They didn't notice his exit through the Portrait hole.

* * *

Although the day was warm, the Owlery was perpetually drafty. It was still afternoon, so most of the owls were sleeping peacefully on the rafters above Harry's head. He glanced around, finally spotting Neville sitting on a window ledge, looking over the grounds. He was absentmindedly stoking an owl who Harry recognized immediately as Hedwig. The snowy white owl gave a hoot of recognition upon spotting Harry, but did not move from her perch at Neville's side.

"Hey, Neville. Up here to mail a letter?" Harry winced internally at the blunt opening.

"Harry," Neville said, "What are you doing up here?"

Harry scrambled for an explanation. "I had some time before the Feast and thought I'd come up here to say hello to Hedwig."

"Oh," Neville said tonelessly. He didn't appear interested in any further conversation.

"Are you going to the Feast?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Harry nodded. "Hedwig loves the extra attention. I should have brought some owl treats."

"Yeah." Clearly, Neville wasn't in a talkative mood.

Harry decided that he was interrupting Neville's private contemplation. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then."

He turned to leave the Owlery but was stopped by Neville's voice. "Harry, wait."

He turned and looked at his friend, confused by the resolute expression that had appeared on Neville's face. It looked as though the boy had reached some important decision; but, Harry couldn't imagine what it was.

"I'll come down with you and go to the Feast."

Harry broke out into a genuine smile. Perhaps he hadn't been too intrusive after all.

"Great, let's go then. We should probably change beforehand. If we show up covered in owl dung, you know Hermione will never let us hear the end of it."

Neville gave a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, alright."

Hedwig chose that moment to leave Neville and fly onto Harry's shoulder. She nipped his ear gently, gave him an affectionate hoot, and flew off to a rafter where she settled for a nap. Harry noted that the behavior was slightly out of character and resolved to visit more often.

Neville stood and joined Harry at the stairwell. A knot in his stomach that Harry hadn't even been aware of loosened as Neville moved away from the ledge.

"I can't believe we only have two more years here." Harry commented conversationally.

"I just hope I passed enough OWLs to take my NEWTs." Neville had a more pragmatic view of the situation.

Harry understood Neville's fear, he had the same thought before McGonagall spoke with him. Despite that, he outwardly projected confidence. "I'm sure you did great."

Neville shrugged noncommittally and the two friends walked silently back to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Two hours later found Harry, along with the entire school, at the Leaving Feast. As always, it was a grand affair. The house elves had outdone themselves on the food and the decorations.

The only disappointment was the House Cup. Looking at the large hourglasses at the end of the Hall, it was noted that while Slytherin had 872 points, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw each only had 42, and Gryffindor had zero. The former members of the Inquisitorial Squad were smirking maliciously at this development. Harry admitted to himself that he was no longer concerned about something as trivial as the House Cup; but, he did feel bad for the younger years who looked crushingly disappointed. This changed at the end of the Feast when Headmaster Dumbledore stood. Immediately, the Hall was silent.

"Students, we come to the end of another year," he began. "This year has been filled with trials, and I fear that the next one will be more challenging. In these difficult times, I urge you all to unite and to remember that your greatest strength is the love that you hold for your family and friends."

Harry bristled as he heard some muffled laughter coming from the upper years at the Slytherin Table. Dumbledore continued as though he had not noticed. "Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances this year, the House Cup will not be awarded. Rather, I would encourage all of the Houses to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments." With that, he clapped his hands and the banners of all four houses appeared around the Hall. The younger students cheered enthusiastically.

Harry smiled. Surrounded by his friends, in this moment, he found himself able to push his worries about the train ride away and enjoy the last night of Fifth Year.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

The final morning of the school year dawned bright and clear. Inside the school though, chaos reigned. Students from all years rushed about, searched frantically for misplaced possessions, and prepared for the trip home. As Harry walked towards the Headmaster's office he observed, with a certain amusement, three first year Ravenclaws who were hysterically grasping a glowing Remembrall.

As he passed, he had to conceal a smirk as one of the three desperately muttered, "But what could we have forgotten?" He idly wondered whether the creator of the Remembrall was a prankster or a sadist. It was not the most useful magical device.

Reaching the gargoyle, Harry read the password from the slip of paper that had been delivered to his dormitory that morning. He was meeting the Headmaster to finalize the plans for the safety of the Express. Entering, he was surprised to see that several members of the Order were present in addition to Professor Dumbledore. He recognized Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody, but the rest of the members were unfamiliar to him.

"Hello, Harry." Dumbledore's eye had a perpetual twinkle, and this morning was no exception.

Harry inclined his head. "Professor." He looked at the others in the room and stifled a smile as Tonks briefly changed her nose to emulate a pig and, just as quickly, returned it to normal.

Dumbledore didn't comment on Tonks' unorthodox greeting; but, Harry would swear that the twinkle in his eyes grew even brighter. "Mr. Cox and myself are going to brief you on the chain of events that will occur should the Express be attacked." He gestured to one of the men who Harry hadn't recognized.

A tall man in dark blue robes stepped forward. "Mr. Potter," he began crisply. "Should the Express encounter difficulties, we are the team that will Portkey in to provide support. It is most important to remember that, if this occurs, you must order all students to retreat to their compartments as soon as we arrive on the scene."

Harry nodded. He was a little bit put off by the man's abruptness; but, he acknowledged that it was a reasonable request. "Yes, sir."

"We will immediately drive off the dementors and clear the train one compartment at a time, sending the children by Portkey directly to St. Mungo's. Parents will be permitted to pick their students up from that location."

That comment made Harry nervous. Direct Portkeys to St. Mungo's made Harry realize that the adults expected casualties. The Headmaster seemed to sense Harry's trepidation. "This is only precautionary, Harry. It is very unlikely that the Express will be attacked. If it is, we will Portkey to the scene quickly and defend the train. Between that, and the student Patronusses, there shouldn't be any problems."

Harry nodded, slightly reassured but still concerned. "Where on the train will you appear?"

Tonks took that question, "We'll appear in teams of two, spread out across the train. That should prevent students from being cut off from help."

"And, how will I return to Hogwarts if there's no attack, Professor Dumbledore?"

The Professor passed Harry a small, tarnished key. "Ten minutes after the Express arrives at King's Cross, this Portkey will activate. Should the train be attacked, you will be transported to St. Mungo's with the other students and one of the teachers will bring you back to Hogwarts with them when the situation is deemed safe."

Harry had no other questions and the silence lingered for a moment. Finally, Mad-Eye interrupted. "Well, boy, I'd imagine you have some packing to get to. You have to be at the carriages in an hour."

Grateful for the reprieve, Harry nodded quickly. "Yeah, I should get going."

With a quick acknowledgement to the Headmaster, Harry escaped from the Office and quickly made his way back to the Gryffindor Tower. One hour was hardly enough time to stop to get his trunk and transport it down to the carriages.

* * *

An hour later found Harry lined up waiting for the carriages with the members of the DA who could cast Patronusses, corporeal or otherwise. The large group made sure to be at the front of the line so that they would be able to space themselves throughout the train.

Harry glanced around at the nervous faces and cleared his throat. There was instant silence as the members gave Harry their full attention. He started out gently. "Remember, an attack today is unlikely. We are just taking reasonable safety measures. However, in the event of an attack, remember the plan. Defend your compartment and the ones adjoining it. When help reaches us, retreat immediately and seal the door of the compartment behind you. The teachers will take over from there."

The group nodded solemnly, exchanging uneasy glances. It was clear that everyone was still extremely nervous; but, Harry recognized that there was little he could do about that. His voice was quiet as the line to the carriages began to move. "Good luck, everyone."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Harry found himself ensconced in the final compartment of the train. Per the plan, he was seated with two DA members who could cast incorporeal Patronusses, a third year Hufflepuff named Greg, and Neville. Also joining them in the compartment were three first year girls who had come to the final DA meeting. As the train pulled out of Hogsmeade Station, Harry had to admit that he wished that Ron and Hermione could have been in the same car as him. However, he and Neville were passing the time well enough by playing Exploding Snap with the younger girls.

"Neville, that's cheating!" One of the girls, a Ravenclaw, had taken issue with Neville's habit of magicking the cards away from himself right before they exploded. Neville grinned mischievously, and Harry was glad to see his friend having such a good time.

About an hour into the ride, Professor Sprout poked her head into the compartment. "Everything alright in here?"

There were nods all around. The snack trolley had come by just a few minutes ago, and the younger years were happily munching on Ice Mice. Harry had stocked up on some chocolate frogs, just in case. "Any sign of trouble, Professor?" Greg had clearly embraced his role as a defender of the Express.

Professor Sprout smiled, causing crinkles around her eyes. "Everything looks okay so far. We should arrive at King's Cross right on time."

However, uttering those words proved to be bad luck. As Harry glanced out the back window of the Express, he realized that a large black mass had obscured the view of the countryside. Dementors were approaching the train from at least three sides.

"Professor," he said urgently, gesturing out the window.

Sprout paled and immediately drew her wand. "Wands out, children. Mr. Potter, I must get up to the engine and tell the driver to halt the train so that the rescue team can arrive. As soon as you start to feel the dementor's effects, cast your Patronusses."

Sprout departed at a run, leaving Harry with a compartment full of terrified, but determined students. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the DA coin. He signaled all the DA members that an attack was imminent. Immediately, he could hear compartment doors slamming shut as the older members of the DA shepherded students inside. Flitwick's voice could also be heard. "All students return to your compartment!"

In what seemed like seconds, but was likely a couple of minutes, Harry began to feel a cold sensation seeping into his bones. " _Expecto Patronum_ ," he cast confidently, recalling a stormy night and a loud knock on the door of a cabin in the sea. Prongs sprung into view, and Harry easily directed him to defend the back of the Express. The stag pranced and charged, driving off the dementors that had gotten too close to the train.

Up and down the Express, Harry watched as Patronusses began to appear out the window. He easily spotted Hermione's Otter and Ron's Jack Russell Terrier several compartments ahead of him. Their Patronusses were strong; but, it was plain to see that the other student's Patronusses were fading. They had driven off the first assault; however, the dementors were quickly regrouping and would soon be aboard the train.

Compounding the problem, Harry noted that the train did not appear to be slowing. Rather, it seemed to be speeding up. "Maybe the train will outrun them." One of the first-year girls spoke up nervously, clutching her wand in front of her.

Harry knew that wasn't possible. The train had to stop for the rescue party to board it and drive off the dementors. "We have to stop the train," he said aloud.

As he said this, the rear door of the train slammed open and four dementors entered. They were only feet from the compartment. Harry began to hear echoes of the past. "Not Harry, please not Harry," a voice began to beg. Prongs became much less substantial in reaction to Harry's loss of focus.

With some effort, Harry pushed the memory aside. "Expecto Patronum," he cast again, hoping that it would be enough to drive them away. Next to him, he saw that Neville and the first-year girls had fallen to the floor. Greg was on his feet, but was unable to conjure more than a wisp of smoke despite repeated incantations. Prongs reared and strengthened briefly; but, the dementors were too close. Harry's attempt wasn't strong enough. Watching as one of the dementors reached out to open the compartment door, Harry rallied.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM_ ," he cried one last time, focusing on the happiest memory he could recall.

This time, Prongs strengthened dramatically. The stag was solid enough to drive the dementors all the way out the back door. With a flick of his wand, Harry slammed it shut again. " _Colloportus_ ," he incanted, sealing the door at least temporarily. But, to his horror, he realized that things had not gone according to plan for the rest of the train. Two cars ahead, he saw Ernie McMillian holding off the dementors out his window with a corporeal, but fading boar. Further down the train, Harry saw that the dementors had boarded through the window of one of the compartments. He had to try something more drastic.

" _Expecto Patronum_ ," he cast again, focusing on what he needed. This time, Prongs galloped off immediately after appearing. Harry watched the Patronus run the length of the train, driving the dementors back a few feet with each pass.

Harry glanced behind him. Neville, Greg, and the first years had all sunk to their knees on the floor of the compartment. It was clear that they wouldn't be able to help Harry stop the train. Ernie, however, was still casting his Patronus nearby.

"Ernie," Harry shouted, "we need to stop the train. If we don't, no one can Portkey in to help us."

Ernie was slightly pompous, but he was level-headed in a crisis. "I'll take care of the people at this end of the train. You go up to the engine and see what's wrong."

Harry nodded grimly and set off. He made quick progress until he was about four cars short of the engine. He felt the cold and realized that this was where the dementors had boarded the train before he cast his Patronus. He raised his wand to cast, but realized that if he brought Prongs to him, then the outside dementors would overwhelm the train. But luck was with him.

 _"Expecto Patronum_ ," a tired voice sounded. What appeared to be an Eagle appeared in front of Harry, swooping at the robes of the dementors and clearing a path. "Go, Mister Potter," Professor Flitwick said from behind a hastily erected barricade in an open compartment, "I'll defend the students, but you must stop the train."

Harry chanced a glance into the compartment as he passed. To his horror, he saw several still forms on the ground, including a larger form that could only be Professor Sprout. Praying that no one had been kissed, he broke into a run as he headed for the engine compartment. As he was about to enter, he halted at the sound of a voice. " _Crucio_ ," it said cruelly.

"Death Eaters," Harry whispered furiously. He heard a crash that sounded as though someone had fallen trying to avoid the spell. Then, " _Flagrate_!" McGonagall was clearly defending herself well against the assailant.

Harry chanced opening the door a crack and was lucky. There seemed to be only one Death Eater and his back was to Harry. McGonagall was crouching behind the driver's seat near the train controls. The trolley lady was slumped on the floor nearby, and the engineer was nowhere to be seen.

Harry took aim carefully, knowing that he would only get one chance. " _Stupefy_ ," he whispered. The red jet of light steaked from his wand and hit the Death Eater square in the back. The man crashed to the floor, hitting his head rather hard on the way down. Harry couldn't bring himself to feel sorry. He immediately turned and recast his Patronus, protecting the train until the Order members could arrive.

McGonagall turned her attention to the controls, bringing the train to a quick stop. As soon as the wheels screeched to a halt, Professor Dumbledore and Alastor Moody appeared in the compartment. It only took Dumbledore a few moments to size up the situation. " _Expecto Patronum_ ," he bellowed.

A rush of magic passed over Harry, leaving him in awe of the Headmaster's power. The wave drove the dementors much further back than Prongs had been able to. Harry noted with relief that Patronusses were appearing alongside the train. The tide had shifted with the arrival of the Order members.

Moody rounded on McGonagall, "What the hell happened? Why did it take you almost five minutes to stop the train?"

Harry was startled. _Only five minutes?_ It had felt like an hour.

McGonagall turned her stern gaze on the former Auror. "The driver was a disguised Death Eater. I didn't realize until he attacked me."

Moody shook his head. "Constant Vigili-" he began, before being cut off by the Headmaster.

"Now Alastor, there was no way to know that the driver had been replaced." Harry was privately grateful for the Headmaster's interruption because his Transfigurations Teacher looked ready to spit fire.

The Headmaster turned to Harry as Moody bent down to check on the woman who ran the snack trolley. "Harry, why weren't you in the rear compartment as discussed?"

Harry began to answer, but was distracted by watching Moody conjure a blanket and carefully cover the woman from head to toe. He hastily swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat.

"Harry?" the Headmaster's prompting was gentle, but insistent.

"I-I was in the rear compartment; but, when help didn't arrive, I realized that I had to get to the engine compartment to stop the train. So, I had Prongs run up and down the length of the train while I made my way up here. But, when I got here, I heard – "

Harry broke of midsentence, unable to describe the terror he had felt at hearing the Unforgivable cast again. Luckily, McGonagall jumped in and continued the story.

"Mr. Potter entered the compartment and stunned the Death Eater as he was attempting to cast an Unforgivable Curse on me. Once the Death Eater was subdued, I stopped the train."

Moody had looked up in surprise at learning that Harry had stopped the Death Eater. "Good job, boy. You ever considered a career in the DMLE?"

Harry shifted, "I am thinking about being an Auror."

"Well, you certainly have the instinct. Not many kids who could have snuck up on a Death Eater. Then again, you aren't exactly a normal kid, are you?"

Moody didn't seem to expect a reply to that last comment, so Harry busied himself studying his shoes as Mr. Cox and Tonks entered the compartment. They both appeared grave.

Dumbledore surveyed them seriously, "Casualties?" he questioned.

Cox nodded his head. "Seventeen cases of severe Dementor exposure, four kissed. Most of the kids are in shock. The severe cases were transported straight to St. Mungo's; but, they are swamped with the Diagon attack and request that we take the remaining students back to Hogwarts."

Harry had never seen a look of such sadness in Dumbledore's eyes. "Who was kissed?"

"Two second year Slytherin boys, a third year Gryffindor girl, and Professor Sprout. It appears that she was attempting to defend the car, but was overwhelmed."

Harry blinked back tears. He hadn't been close to Professor Sprout but the gregarious woman had been his teacher for five years. He couldn't believe that she was gone. And three students. It was horrifying.

Something that Cox had said began to register. "Diagon attack?" he asked hoarsely.

Cox looked at Dumbledore, who answered. "While the Dementors attacked the Express, Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley. There was severe damage done to several shops."

Harry knew that the Order was guarding Diagon Alley. By the looks on the faces of the adults, it was clear that there were casualties there too. This had turned out to be a dreadful day.

McGonagall stood straight and rallied. "There's still work to be done. How long will it take to transport the children back to Hogwarts?"

Tonks spoke for the first time. "We should have everyone back in about fifteen minutes. You must get word to the parents that they need to come to the school to pick up their children."

McGonagall nodded briskly. "We'll post a notice at King's Cross. Relatives will be able to Apparate or Floo to Hogsmeade. Children will be released only to parents or legal guardians."

She turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, please return to your compartment. The Aurors will be there soon with a Portkey that will return you and your classmates to Hogwarts."

Harry turned to go; but, McGonagall reached out and touched his shoulder. "Thank you, Harry. You did well today."

Harry opened his mouth to speak; but, a lump lodged in his throat. Eyes watering, all Harry could manage was a nod before quickly escaping the engine compartment. Hopefully, things would seem better back at Hogwarts.


End file.
